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Enzymes and their Uses.
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| Submitted: Thu Jul 11 2002
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ENZYMES are biological catalysts. An enzyme is a large protein molecule. They help reactions take place at quite low temperatures (they don't work at high ones) inside living things. All plants and animals, including humans, depend on enzymes to stay alive. Each enzyme catalyses a particular chemical reaction. Parts of their molecules have special shapes. Reacting molecules slot into these 'active sites'. Then the reaction takes place very quickly. For example, an enzyme called amylase is in our saliva. It begins to break down starchy foods in our mouths. Another example of enzyme use is in food production. Alcoholic drinks and bread are both made using the enzyme yeast in a reaction called fermentation. FERMENTATION For thousands of years, fermentation has been used to preserve foods to make bread, beer and wine. Today it is used to make foods such as dairy products, drugs such as penicillin and chemicals...
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