Products from Organisms, Biological Systems and Processes

Plants atomic number 18 essential to emotional state on earth beca engage they capture light energy and convert it into a form chemical energy usable by all organisms. fetching the simple molecules carbon dioxide and water, they convert these into a wide range of energy-rich fundamental substances to serve their needs but which also fulfil the needs of early(a) organisms.All organisms be made up of the same basic biochemicals, so plants are a ready source of these staple foods carbohydrates, proteins and fats, along with another(prenominal) essential nutrients such as vitamins and minerals. Of the plant species named to date (over 270 000), about 80 000 plants are known to be edible but only close to thirty of these are grown as crop plants wheat, rice, maize and potatoes fork up more of the worlds food than all other crops combined.Muscular System Muscle metabolismAs well as these staple foods, plants win thousands of more pestilent chemicals which man and other org anisms have made use of. These include herbs, spices and fragrances, drinks, textiles, eddy materials, dyes, fuels and medicines. Many new, revolutionary treatments, and hopes for the future, of diseases such as cancer are derived from plants, e.g. taxol from the Pacific yew.Products from Micro-organismsWe know that micro-organisms were offshoot used in create from raw material and baking in ancient Sumeria about 6000 years ago.The first micro-organisms were observed by Anton train Leeuwenhoek in the mid seventeenth century, but the involvement of micro-organisms in brewing was not recognised until the work of Louis Pasteur in 1856.Nowadays many products are produced using micro-organisms, including foods (beer, bread, cheese, yogurt, Single Cell Protein, e.g. Quorn, medicines (e.g. antibiotics such as penicillin) and using chemicals that micro-organisms produce as sources of energy (e.g. methanogenic and other bacteria producing biogas, ethanol). It is the chemicals that the m icro-organisms produce as take off of their metabolism that demand them useful.Applications of Biological Systems and ProcessesAs biotechnology has advanced, biotechnologists have not only made use of the organism themselves, but biological systems and processes. These technologies make use of desoxyribonucleic acid* Enzymes Enzymes are chemicals which speed up biological reactions. The use of enzymes by humans really began thousands of years ago, but when they were in the cells of organisms. to a greater extent recently it has been realised that these would work better isolated from cells. Probably the first use of isolated enzymes was takadiastase prepared from a fungus on wheat bran.* DNA fingerprinting Each individual on the planet (except for identical twins) is rum because of the combination of their genes and differences in large areas of the DNA that do not protract genes. In the early 1980s, Professor Alec Jeffreys, at the University of Leicester, showed that DNA, extr acted from an individual could be low into sections using enzymes, then separated into bands using a technique called electrophoresis. Because of similarities and differences in banding patterns, this technique can be used in rhetorical science, questions of paternity and in the diagnosis of genetic diseases.Detailed NotesApplication of EnzymesApplications of enzymes straightaway include* Industrial applications Enzymes from bacteria which help to break down proteins and fats are used in biological washing powders. Dish washer powders ofttimes contain amylases to break down stiffen.* Food industry Many enzymes are used in the production of cheese and by some brewers in beer production. In baking, amylases are added to flour to speed up the breakdown of starch into glucose, for use by the yeast.* Textiles Starch has been used as a goal on fabrics to prevent damage during weaving. This can be removed by bacterial amylases.* Medicine Biosensors can be used, for instance, to test a persons furrow cholesterol. Strips impregnated with enzymes are used to test for glucose, for instance in urine.