Microbes make useful enzymes. Lipases are put in detergents to remove oily stains from clothes. Pectinases and proteases make bottled fruit juices clear. Streptokinase, from the bacterium Streptococcus, is a "clot buster" that removes clots from blood vessels after a heart attack. Memory hook: LIP-oil, PEC-juice, STREP-clot.
Three industrially useful microbial enzymes and their NEET-relevant uses: lipases remove oily stains in detergents, pectinase and protease clarify fruit juice, and streptokinase dissolves blood clots.
Your doubts, answered
Why is lipase added to detergents?
Lipase breaks down fats and oils (lipids). Oily stains on laundry are made of fat. When lipase is added to a detergent, it digests the oil stain and helps remove it from the cloth. This is why NCERT says lipases are used in detergent formulations to remove oily stains.
Why are bottled fruit juices clearer than juice made at home?
Home-made juice looks cloudy because it still has pectin and small pulp bits floating in it. Factories add pectinases and proteases to the juice. Pectinase breaks down pectin and protease breaks down proteins, so the cloudy particles settle out. The result is a clear, see-through bottled juice.
What exactly does streptokinase do?
Streptokinase dissolves blood clots. After a heart attack (myocardial infarction), a clot can block a blood vessel. Streptokinase acts as a 'clot buster' and removes the clot so blood can flow again. For NEET, remember: streptokinase = removal of clots from blood vessels.
Which microbe produces streptokinase?
Streptokinase is produced by the bacterium Streptococcus. It is then modified by genetic engineering before being used as a medicine. Do not confuse the microbe (Streptococcus, a bacterium) with the product (streptokinase, the enzyme).
Is pectinase the same as protease?
No. Both are used together to clarify fruit juice, but they act on different things. Pectinase breaks down pectin (a plant polysaccharide), while protease breaks down proteins. NCERT lists both as juice-clarifying enzymes.
⚠️ The NEET trap ✗ Streptokinase is used to lower blood cholesterol. ✓ Streptokinase removes clots from blood vessels. It is statins (from Monascus purpureus) that lower blood cholesterol. 🧠 NEET loves swapping products between microbes. Streptokinase = clot buster, Statin = cholesterol, Cyclosporin A = immunosuppressant, Lipase = oil stains.
Real NEET questions
NEET 2016
Which of the following is wrongly matched in the given table (Microbe - Product - Application)?
A · Trichoderma polysporum - Cyclosporin A - Immunosuppressive drug
B · Monascus purpureus - Statins - Lowering of blood cholesterol
C · Streptococcus - Streptokinase - Removal of clot from blood vessel
D · Clostridium butylicum - Lipase - Removal of oil stains ✓
Solution: This row is wrongly matched. Clostridium butylicum produces butyric acid, not lipase. Lipases are detergent enzymes but are not made by Clostridium butylicum. The other three pairings (cyclosporin A, statins, streptokinase) are all correct.
NEET 2025
Streptokinase produced by bacterium Streptococcus is used for
A · Liver disease treatment
B · Removing clots from blood vessels ✓
C · Curd production
D · Ethanol production
Solution: Streptokinase, produced by Streptococcus and modified by genetic engineering, is a 'clot buster' that removes clots from blood vessels after a heart attack. It is not used for curd or ethanol production.
NEET 2026
Match List I (Bioactive molecules) with List II (Importance): A. Streptokinase; B. Statins; C. Lipases; D. Cyclosporin A | I. Immunosuppressive agent; II. Removal of clots from the blood vessels; III. Blood cholesterol-lowering agent; IV. Detergent formulations
A · A-II, B-III, C-I, D-IV
B · A-IV, B-III, C-II, D-I
C · A-III, B-II, C-IV, D-I
D · A-II, B-III, C-IV, D-I ✓
Solution: Streptokinase removes clots (II), Statins lower cholesterol (III), Lipases are detergent enzymes (IV), and Cyclosporin A is an immunosuppressant (I). This gives A-II, B-III, C-IV, D-I.
Solved Microbes in Human Welfare NEET PYQs
Try the real previous-year questions from this chapter — each with the answer and a full solution.
What are the three industrially useful microbial enzymes in NCERT?
Lipases (detergents, remove oily stains), pectinases and proteases (clarify bottled fruit juice), and streptokinase (clot buster for heart-attack patients).
Which enzyme is a clot buster?
Streptokinase, produced by the bacterium Streptococcus and modified by genetic engineering, is the clot buster used to remove clots from blood vessels.
What is streptokinase used for in NEET?
For removing blood clots from the blood vessels of patients who have had a myocardial infarction (heart attack).
What do pectinase and protease do to fruit juice?
They clarify it. Pectinase breaks pectin and protease breaks proteins, so the cloudy particles settle and the juice becomes clear.
Is streptokinase an enzyme or an antibiotic?
Streptokinase is an enzyme (a bioactive molecule), not an antibiotic. It acts on blood clots, not on other microbes.
