Function of Enzymes in Our Lives: Industrial Uses of Enzymes

Enzymes are biocatalysts which consists of proteins and a long chain of amino acids. They are used to speed up chemical reactions and help break down or combine larger molecules without having to go through any change themselves. ("What Are Enzymes? | BIO-CAT"). Enzymes can come in liquid or dry form and can be produced by fungi, animals, bacteria and yeast. Enzymes are used in industrial processes such as cosmetic, food, agricultural and they are mainly used to speed up the process of a certain reaction. For example, a brewery would not be able to produce products such as beer and wine without using enzymes and the yeast that contain them (Martinez). A common enzyme that is used in brewery is zymase.

Zymase is an enzyme complex of yeast that catalyzes the breakdown of sugars in alcohol fermentation and is used in the alcohol industry. ("Definition Of ZYMASE") Fermentation of alcohol is a metabolic process of breaking down substances into smaller ones through the action of catalysis. During this fermentation process, carbohydrates, which are usually sugar or starch are converted into ethanol, which produces carbon dioxide as a product. ("Commercial Applications Of Enzymes") Before this process, ingredients are mixed and boiled. Once they are cooled off yeast is added to them. ("How Beer Is Made | Beeriety"). Zymase, which is given off by the yeast starts to convert simple sugar worts such as fructose and glucose into ethanol and carbon dioxide. Zymase breaks down complex sugars into simple sugars, which ferments into alcohol. ("Process") A simple chemical process would be C6H12O6 => 2C2H5OH + 2CO2 For 12 days ("Enzymes Industrial Uses, Biotechnology Methods Processes Optimum Conditions Temperature Ph AQA Edexcel OCR Gateway Science 21St Century Gcse Chemistry Revision Notes"), the brew master monitors the process and temperature. During those days, the yeast consumes all the sugars whilst adding subtle flavors and releasing the alcohol. When a beer bottle is opened, it fizzes; that is the carbon dioxide. After the process of fermentation, the yeast is removed and the liquid is chilled. ("How Beer Is Made | Beer Canada's Taproom")Zymase’s optimum pH is 6 and before the enzyme starts to denature, it’s optimum temperature is 35C and ceases at 65C. ("Yeast Enzyme Denaturing"). The advantages of the fermentation process are economically, companies such as ABinBev that owns the biggest brewers in the world, has a net profit of 3. 2 billion dollars since 2006. Beer is one of the most commonly drunk drink in the world, causing industries to earn more than 3-4 million dollars every year. Without enzymes, there would be no beer or wine. ("How Much Does Alcohol Cost? University Of Puget Sound") The social disadvantages of this is health issues.

A pack of beer (6) costs 5$ which is quite cheap compared to how long the process takes. When overdosed, it can cause hypothermia, mental confusion, slow breathing, and in severe cases, hypoglycemia or death. As seen the the graph, Austria binge drinks the most, causing higher percentage of deaths or car accidents by alcohol ("Publications | National Institute On Alcohol Abuse And Alcoholism | Alcohol Overdose: The Dangers Of Drinking Too Much"). Drinking causes long term impacts such as slower brain development, liver disease, cancer and weakens the immune system. ("Long-Term Effects Of Alcohol Consumption")(the country graph shows which countries binge drink the most, 2014) (the BAC graph shows problems occurring after alcohol is drunk)The economic advantage is that the use of enzymes in the industry is very cheap. Specific enzymes can be collected for microbes or animals and are non-toxic to humans.("What Are The Advantages Of Using Enzymes In Industry? What Are Some Disadvantages?") The cost of making beer is quite cheap because enzymes can work for a long time so companies don’t have to purchase a lot, and only catalyze the reaction you want. They are biodegradable, causing less harm to the environment. Some of the disadvantages are how sensitive enzymes are.

A slight change in temperature can denature the enzyme causing the companies to work in tight conditions as purchasing and producing enzymes are quite expensive. Contamination in the enzymes can cause a change in the reaction and may not catalyze the reaction. (Kennedy)In conclusion, enzymes have a positive impact on the environment. Since they are biodegradable and non-toxic, they cause little to no impact on the environment. Their ability to increase the reaction rate to make beer is what gives the drink a bitter taste. They are able to blend with the environment and although they have very sensitive working conditions, they have helped out industries with making money and improving products. The use of enzymes in beer and wine have allowed industries to make money, improve their products and increase flavoring by adding more enzymes. Enzyme technology is yet to develop and expand into something bigger.