Uses of Enzymes in Medicine and Industry

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Uses of Enzymes in Medicine and Industry

Enzymes are used widely across medicine and industry. Through this

essay I will go through some examples of each case, and explain the

complexities of these examples.

Enzymes are biological catalysts that enable specific reactions to

take place. Catalysts are widely used in industry, to increase the

rate of a reaction, or allow the reaction to take place without

resorting to high temperatures and pressures.

One of the

most important and widely used enzymes in industry and everyday life

is the catalytic converter in cars. They are devices incorporated into

the exhaust system of cars which use catalysts to convert pollutant

gases into harmless products.

Another

example of enzymes used in industry is the major role in the brewing

industry. The yeast converts sugars into alcohol and carbon dioxide.

However, these sugars are stored as starch in plants, consequently

this meant the process of malting had to be undertaken. This process

was relatively expensive and hard to control, therefore industrial

enzymes such as amylases, glucanases and proteases were added to

catalyse the malting process and make it easier to control. Therefore

producing the required sugars for the yeast to react on. In addition

enzymes aid the filtration process, because of the polysaccharides,

xylans and glucans present in the final beer. This often results in

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