Question

In which of the following industries, microbial enzymes are not used?
(a) Glass industry
(b) Cheese industry
(c) Tanning industry
(d) Paper industry

Answer 1

Hint: In industries, a large number of products are synthesized by making use of microbes such as beverages and medicines. But to make products on such a large scale, microbes are grown in very large vessels known as fermenters, and the desired product is obtained from there.

Complete Answer:
Microbial enzymes are required for catalyzing chemical reactions that occur for the manufacture of the desired product like cheese, glass, etc. But the paper industry does not need any microbial processes, be it for the manufacture of new paper or during the recycling of old ones as it is a physical process and does not need enzymes to catalyze it. All the other three industries require the usage of microbial enzymes for attaining the desired product as chemical reactions take place in them.

Additional information: Let us look at some other benefits of microbes in industrial production.
- One of the most common applications of microbes is for the production of cheese. Each cheese has a characteristic flavor, texture, and smell according to the microbe used in making it.
- Swiss cheese is made by the bacterium Propionibacterium shermanii and the large holes seen in it are caused due to carbon dioxide gas that is released during its production.
- Another famous cheese which is known as the ‘Roquefort cheese’ is made by growing a specific kind of fungi on it which gives it a particular flavor.
- The microbe Saccharomyces cerevisiae is used in the industrial production of both breads as well as alcoholic beverages.
So, the correct option is ‘(d) Paper industry’

Note:
- The first antibiotic penicillin was discovered accidentally from a microbe known as Penicillium notatum.
- The bacterium responsible for curd production is Lactobacillus (LAB) as it makes lactic acid in the milk.
- Cyclosporin A is another such medicine we obtain from microbes. It is an immunosuppressant given to transplant patients which is produced by the fungus Trichoderma polysporum.