Frederic Melton
Cheese is a milk-derived food product that has been consumed by humans for thousands of years. The earliest evidence of cheesemaking dates back to 5500 BCE in what is now Kuyavia, Poland. But what molecule is cheese mostly made of?
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Main molecule | Casein |
| Molecular formula of casein | C81H125N22O39P |
| Other molecules | Calcium, fats, whey protein |
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What You'll Learn
The protein casein defines the molecular structure of cheese
Cheese is a milk-derived food product that has undergone fermentation. The protein casein defines the molecular structure of cheese. Casein micelles aggregate to form a 3D matrix, and calcium serves as the glue that holds the structure together. The molecular formula of casein is C81H125N22O39P. The chemicals found in cheese, particularly the proteins, are derived from milk. The two major types of proteins in milk are casein (which comprises about 80% of milk protein) and whey protein.
Casein molecules are normally wrapped into compact spheres in milk. To form cheese, the proteins must coagulate, or stick together. The outer layer of the casein micelles is negatively charged, which allows the micelles to remain dispersed in liquid milk.
Cheese is one of the oldest processed foods that humanity has invented, dating back to prehistoric times, around 10,000 years ago. The earliest evidence of cheesemaking in the archaeological record dates back to 5500 BCE and is found in what is now Kuyavia, Poland, where strainers coated with milk-fat molecules have been found.
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Casein molecules aggregate into spheres called micelles
Cheese is a milk-derived food product that has undergone fermentation. The protein casein defines the molecular structure of cheese. Casein molecules aggregate into spheres called micelles. The outer layer of these spheres is negatively charged, which allows the micelles to remain dispersed in liquid milk.
To form cheese, the proteins must coagulate, or stick together. Casein micelles aggregate to form a 3D matrix, and calcium serves as the glue that holds the structure together. The molecular formula of casein is C81H125N22O39P. The chemicals found in cheese, particularly the proteins, are derived from milk. The two major types of proteins in milk are casein (which comprises about 80% of milk protein) and whey protein.
The earliest evidence of cheesemaking in the archaeological record dates back to 5500 BCE and is found in what is now Kuyavia, Poland, where strainers coated with milk-fat molecules have been found. Rennet, which is used in cheesemaking, comes from the stomachs of young mammals that have a diet of mostly milk.
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Calcium serves as the glue that holds the structure together
Cheese is a milk-derived food product that has undergone fermentation. It is composed of various organic and inorganic chemicals that are also mostly found in milk, such as proteins, calcium, and fats.
The protein casein defines the molecular structure of cheese. Casein molecules aggregate into spheres called micelles. The outer layer is negatively charged, which allows the micelles to remain dispersed in liquid milk. To form cheese, the proteins must coagulate, or stick together.
Casein micelles aggregate to form a 3D matrix, and calcium serves as the glue that holds the structure together. The molecular formula of casein is C81H125N22O39P. The chemicals found in cheese, particularly the proteins, are derived from milk. The two major types of proteins in milk are casein (which comprises about 80% of milk protein) and whey protein.
Saturated fats and minerals are also present in cheese. In milk, casein molecules are normally wrapped into compact spheres.
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Rennet comes from the stomachs of young mammals
Cheese is a milk-derived food product that has undergone fermentation. It is composed of various organic and inorganic chemicals, including proteins, calcium, and fats. The molecular structure of cheese is defined by the protein casein, which aggregates to form a 3D matrix held together by calcium.
Rennet is an important component in the cheese-making process and comes from the stomachs of young mammals that have a diet of mostly milk. Calf rennet was the major source of chymosin until the 1960s when it was predicted that increasing demand for meat and cheese production would lead to a shortage of calves and, consequently, a shortage of rennet. This led to the development of substitutes, including extracts from adult cows and pigs, fungi, and, more recently, genetically modified microorganisms that produce rennet.
The role of rennet in cheese-making is to cause the coagulation of milk proteins, specifically casein. Casein molecules normally exist as compact spheres in milk, but during cheese-making, they aggregate to form a solid matrix, which gives cheese its characteristic texture and structure.
In summary, rennet, derived from the stomachs of young mammals, plays a crucial role in the cheese-making process by causing the coagulation of milk proteins and contributing to the formation of cheese's unique molecular structure.
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Cheese is made through the fermentation process of milk
Cheese is a milk-derived food product composed of various organic and inorganic chemicals that are also mostly found in milk, such as proteins, calcium, and fats. The protein casein defines the molecular structure of cheese. Casein molecules aggregate into spheres called micelles, which are held together by calcium. The molecular formula of casein is C81H125N22O39P.
To form cheese, the proteins must coagulate, or stick together. Rennet, which comes from the stomachs of young mammals with a milk-based diet, was the major source of chymosin until the 1960s. However, due to increasing demand for meat and cheese production, substitutes were developed, including extracts from adult cows and pigs, fungi, and genetically modified microorganisms that yield GM rennet.
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Frequently asked questions
Cheese is mostly made of casein molecules, which aggregate into spheres called micelles.
The molecular formula of casein is C81H125N22O39P.
Cheese is also made up of proteins, calcium, fats, and minerals.
