* Required 1. The stems and fruits of pineapple plants contain a group of protein-digesting enzymes collectively called bromelai
n and often used as an antibrowning agent for fruits and vegetables. Fruits and vegetables brown when they are bruised during transport or sliced and exposed to air. This browning is controlled by enzymatic pathways that produce brown pigments. The browning of fruits and vegetables reduces the nutritional value of the food, so antibrowning agents such as bromelain are used. Identify the type of monomer of which this enzyme is composed.
Bromelain refers to a collection of proteases containing sulfhydryl groups. Each protease consists of amino acids, which are the fundamental components of proteins.
Explanation:
Bromelain:
It is not classified as a singular enzyme. Instead, it comprises a combination of proteolytic enzymes along with phosphatases, glucosidases, peroxidases, cellulases, and glycoproteins. Initially, bromelain was identified as an enzymatic mix derived from pineapple plants (Ananas comosus), but it is now recognized as any protease sourced from the Bromeliaceae family.
Proteins are large molecules made up of amino acid subunits or monomers. These amino acids, linked by peptide bonds, create the intricate structure of enzymes.
It is essential for living organisms to maintain a non-equilibrium state in the concentrations of oxygen and carbon dioxide to facilitate gas exchange. If equilibrium is reached, both respiration and photosynthesis would cease.
Explanation:
Gases flow from areas of higher concentration to lower concentration along their gradients.
If organisms achieve equilibrium in carbon dioxide and oxygen levels, gas exchange into and out of cells would stop.
Equilibrium signifies that gas concentrations equalize on both sides, halting any movement.
Should gas exchange come to a standstill, respiration and photosynthesis in plants, as well as respiration in animals, would completely halt.
