Question Details

This is a wrongly matched pair

Options

A

Detergents – Lipase

B

Textile – Amylase

C

Alcohol – Nitrogenase

D

Fruit juice – Pectinase

Correct Answer :

Alcohol – Nitrogenase

Solution :

The correct answer is Alcohol – Nitrogenase.

To understand why this is the wrongly matched pair, let us examine the relationship between each industry/product and the enzyme paired with it:

1. Detergents – Lipase: Lipases are enzymes that catalyze the breakdown of lipids (fats and oils) into glycerol and free fatty acids. In the laundry detergent industry, lipases are commonly added to formulations to help dissolve and remove stubborn oil- and fat-based stains from fabrics. Therefore, this pair is correctly matched.
2. Textile – Amylase: Amylases are enzymes that hydrolyze starch into simpler sugars. During the manufacturing of textiles, starch is applied to warp yarns as a sizing agent to prevent breakage during weaving. Once the fabric is woven, amylase is used in a process called "desizing" to efficiently remove this starch without damaging the fabric fibers. Therefore, this pair is correctly matched.
3. Fruit juice – Pectinase: Pectin is a structural carbohydrate found in the cell walls of plants, contributing to the turbidity and viscosity of raw fruit juices. Pectinases break down pectin, which helps in clarifying the juices (making them clear and less cloudy) and increasing the juice extraction yield. Therefore, this pair is correctly matched.
4. Alcohol – Nitrogenase: Nitrogenase is an enzyme complex responsible for biological nitrogen fixation, catalyzing the conversion of atmospheric nitrogen gas (N2) into ammonia (NH3).

This biological reaction can be represented as:
N 2 + 8 H + + 8 e - + 16 ATP 2 NH 3 + H 2 + 16 ADP + 16 P i
This biological process is crucial in agriculture and soil microbiology but is completely unrelated to industrial alcohol production. Commercial alcohol (ethanol) production involves the fermentation of sugars by yeasts, such as Saccharomyces cerevisiae, using the enzyme complex known as zymase. Therefore, "Alcohol – Nitrogenase" is indeed the wrongly matched pair.

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