Trying to find the right answer to this..

The food we eat is digested by various enzymes in our body. Why the same enzyme does not breakdown everything we eat? What significance does this have for degradation of waste material?

Enzymes are specific in their action, specific enzymes are needed for breakdown of a particular substance. For example, pepsin is needed to breakdown proteins while lipase is needed to digest fats. Because enzymes are specific in their action many human made materials like plastics cannot be broken down by bacteria and other saprophytes. These materials will be acted upon by physical processes like heat and pressure but under the conditions found on the earth these materials persist for a long time.

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Students in a school listened to the news read in the morning assembly that the mountain of garbage
in Delhi, suddenly exploded and various vehicles got buried under it. Several people were also injured
and there was traffic jam all around. In the brain- storming session, the teacher also discussed this issue and asked the students to find out a solution to the problem of garbage. Finally, they arrived at two main points - one is self-management of the garbage we produce and the second is to generate lee
garbage at the individual level.

(a) Suggest two measures to manage the garbage we produce.
(b) As an individual, what can we do to generate the least garbage ? Give two points.
(c) List two values the teacher instilled in his students in this episode.

What are some of the waste materials that we generate in our homes?

How much time does it take for certain commonly used products to biodegrade, when they are scattered around as litter?

Mention some substances that are biodegradable?

Our Environment

The food we eat is digested by various enzymes in our body. Why the same enzyme does not breakdown everything we eat? What significance does this have for degradation of waste material?