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Homogenization

 

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Homogenization



 
 
Homogenization (or homogenisation) is a term used in many fields such as chemistry
Chemistry

Chemistry is the science concerned with the composition, structure, and properties of matter, as well as the changes it undergoes during chemical reactions....
, mathematics
Mathematics

Mathematics is the study of quantity, structure, space, change, and related topics of pattern and form. Mathematicians seek out patterns whether found in numbers, space, natural science, computers, imaginary abstractions, or elsewhere....
, agricultural science
Agricultural science

Agricultural science is a broad multidisciplinary field that encompasses the parts of exact, natural, economic and social sciences that are used in the practice and understanding of agriculture....
, food technology
Food technology

Food technology, or Food tech for short is the application of food science to the selection, food preservation, Food processing, packaging, Food distribution, and use of safety, nutrition, and Healthy diet....
, sociology
Sociology

Sociology is a branch of the social sciences that uses systematic methods of Empiricism and critical theory to develop and refine a body of knowledge about human social structure and activity, sometimes with the goal of applying such knowledge to the pursuit of social welfare....
 and cell biology
Cell biology

Cell biology is an list of academic disciplines that studies cell s ? their physiology properties, their structure, the organelles they contain, interactions with their environment, their cell cycle, cell division and apoptosis....
. Homogenization is a term connoting a process that makes a mixture the same throughout the entire substance.

nsive mixing of mutually insoluble phases
Phase (matter)

In the physical sciences, a phase is a region of space , throughout which all physical properties of a material are essentially uniform. Examples of physical properties include density, refractive index, and chemical composition....
 (sometimes with addition of surfactant
Surfactant

Surfactants are wetting agents that lower the surface tension of a liquid, allowing easier spreading, and lower the interfacial tension between two liquids....
s) to obtain a soluble suspension
Suspension (chemistry)

In chemistry, a suspension is a heterogeneous fluid containing solid particles that are sufficiently large for sedimentation. Usually they must be larger than 1 micrometre....
 or emulsion
Emulsion

An emulsion is a mixture of two immiscible liquids. One liquid is dispersion in the other . Many emulsions are oil/water emulsions, with dietary fats being one common type of oil encountered in everyday life....
.

In science:



of the oldest applications of homogenization is in milk
Milk

Milk is an opaque white liquid produced by the mammary glands of female mammals . It provides the primary source of nutrition for newborn mammals before they are able to digestion other types of food....
 processing, to prevent or delay natural separation of cream
Cream

Cream is a dairy product that is composed of the higher-butterfat layer skimmed from the top of milk before homogenization. In un-homogenized milk, over time, the lighter fat rises to the top....
 from the rest of the emulsion
Emulsion

An emulsion is a mixture of two immiscible liquids. One liquid is dispersion in the other . Many emulsions are oil/water emulsions, with dietary fats being one common type of oil encountered in everyday life....
.






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Encyclopedia


Homogenization (or homogenisation) is a term used in many fields such as chemistry
Chemistry

Chemistry is the science concerned with the composition, structure, and properties of matter, as well as the changes it undergoes during chemical reactions....
, mathematics
Mathematics

Mathematics is the study of quantity, structure, space, change, and related topics of pattern and form. Mathematicians seek out patterns whether found in numbers, space, natural science, computers, imaginary abstractions, or elsewhere....
, agricultural science
Agricultural science

Agricultural science is a broad multidisciplinary field that encompasses the parts of exact, natural, economic and social sciences that are used in the practice and understanding of agriculture....
, food technology
Food technology

Food technology, or Food tech for short is the application of food science to the selection, food preservation, Food processing, packaging, Food distribution, and use of safety, nutrition, and Healthy diet....
, sociology
Sociology

Sociology is a branch of the social sciences that uses systematic methods of Empiricism and critical theory to develop and refine a body of knowledge about human social structure and activity, sometimes with the goal of applying such knowledge to the pursuit of social welfare....
 and cell biology
Cell biology

Cell biology is an list of academic disciplines that studies cell s ? their physiology properties, their structure, the organelles they contain, interactions with their environment, their cell cycle, cell division and apoptosis....
. Homogenization is a term connoting a process that makes a mixture the same throughout the entire substance.

Chemistry

Intensive mixing of mutually insoluble phases
Phase (matter)

In the physical sciences, a phase is a region of space , throughout which all physical properties of a material are essentially uniform. Examples of physical properties include density, refractive index, and chemical composition....
 (sometimes with addition of surfactant
Surfactant

Surfactants are wetting agents that lower the surface tension of a liquid, allowing easier spreading, and lower the interfacial tension between two liquids....
s) to obtain a soluble suspension
Suspension (chemistry)

In chemistry, a suspension is a heterogeneous fluid containing solid particles that are sufficiently large for sedimentation. Usually they must be larger than 1 micrometre....
 or emulsion
Emulsion

An emulsion is a mixture of two immiscible liquids. One liquid is dispersion in the other . Many emulsions are oil/water emulsions, with dietary fats being one common type of oil encountered in everyday life....
.

In science:

  • Homogeneous — a mixture that is the same (uniform) throughout.
  • Heterogeneous — a mixture consisting of dissimilar elements or parts.


Food technology

One of the oldest applications of homogenization is in milk
Milk

Milk is an opaque white liquid produced by the mammary glands of female mammals . It provides the primary source of nutrition for newborn mammals before they are able to digestion other types of food....
 processing, to prevent or delay natural separation of cream
Cream

Cream is a dairy product that is composed of the higher-butterfat layer skimmed from the top of milk before homogenization. In un-homogenized milk, over time, the lighter fat rises to the top....
 from the rest of the emulsion
Emulsion

An emulsion is a mixture of two immiscible liquids. One liquid is dispersion in the other . Many emulsions are oil/water emulsions, with dietary fats being one common type of oil encountered in everyday life....
. The fat in milk normally separates from the water and collects at the top. Homogenization breaks the fat into smaller sizes so it no longer separates, allowing the sale of non-separating 1%, 2%, and whole milk. This is accomplished by forcing the milk at high pressure through small holes.

Another method of homogenization uses extruders, hammermill
Hammermill

A hammermill is a machine whose purpose is to shred material into fine particles. They have many sorts of applications in many industries, including:...
s, or colloid mill
Colloid mill

A colloid mill is a machine that is used to reduce the particle size of a solid in Suspension in a liquid, or to reduce the droplet size of a liquid suspended in another liquid....
s to mill (grind)
Mill (grinding)

A grinding mill is a unit operation designed to break a solid material into smaller pieces. There are many different types of grinding mills and many types of materials processed in them....
 solids.

Homogenisation is essential tool while creating various kind of flavors in food industry. One application is in Soft drinks like Cola Products. The reactant mixture is rendered to intense homogenization,to as much as 35,000PSI, so that various constituents do not separate out during storage or distribution process.

Sociology and history

In sociology and history, the term homogenization has largely negative meanings, indicating a drive towards uniformity, militarism, obedience and conformism. This is superimposed forcibly by the state, but can also be the result of global economic forces (Conversi 2007). The term homogenization has a close relationship to Americanization
Americanization

Americanization is the term used for the influence the United States has on the culture of other countries, resulting in such phenomena as the substitution of a given culture with Culture of the United States....
.

Cell biology


Homogenization is a process that involves breaking apart cells — releasing organelles and cytoplasm
Cytoplasm

The cytoplasm is the part of a Cell that is enclosed within the plasma membrane. In eukaryote cells the cytoplasm contains organelles, such as mitochondrion, that are filled with liquid kept separate from the rest of the cytoplasm by biological membranes....
. When the purpose is to extract organelle
Organelle

In cell biology, an organelle is a specialized subunit within a cell that has a specific function, and is usually separately enclosed within its own lipid membrane....
s, it is frequently done in two steps; first using a blender
Blender (device)

A blender, or liquidiser in British English, is a kitchen appliance used to mix ingredients or puree food. The term typically refers to a stationary, upright electrical device, which is to be distinguished from a hand-powered or electric mixer that may be used for similar purposes....
 to break the tissue
Biological tissue

Tissue is a cellular organizational level intermediate between cells and a complete organism. Hence, a tissue is an ensemble of cells, not necessarily identical, but from the same origin, that together carry out a specific function....
 up, and then with an ultrasonic
Ultrasound

Ultrasound is cyclic sound pressure with a frequency greater than the upper limit of human hearing . Although this limit varies from person to person, it is approximately 20 Hertz in healthy, young adults and thus, 20 kHz serves as a useful lower limit in describing ultrasound....
 or mechanical tissue disruptor. The organelles are then generally separated using differential centrifugation
Differential centrifugation

Differential centrifugation is a common procedure in microbiology and Cell biology used to separate certain organelles from whole Cell s for further analysis of specific parts of cells....
. Depending upon the subcellular fraction wanted, different processes are used to separate them. When the aim is to extract nucleic acid
Nucleic acid

A nucleic acid is a macromolecule composed of chains of monomeric nucleotides. In biochemistry these molecules carry genetic information or form structures within Cell ....
s, the tissue is often ground in a mortar and pestle
Mortar and pestle

A mortar and pestle is a tool used to crush, grind, and mix substances. The pestle is a heavy stick whose end is used for pounding and grinding, and the mortar is a bowl....
 under liquid nitrogen
Liquid nitrogen

Liquid nitrogen is a liquefied atmospheric gas produced industrially in large quantities by fractional distillation of liquid air. It is pure nitrogen in a liquid state at very low temperature....
.

Sometimes, however, a much milder procedure is followed, where the aim is to collect whole, intact cells. Homogenized cells must be kept at low temperatures to prevent autolysis and kept in an isotonic solution to prevent osmotic
Osmosis

Osmosis is the diffusion of a solvent through a Semipermeable membrane, from a solution of low solute concentration to a solution with high solute concentration , up a solute concentration gradient....
 damage.

See also

  • Pasteurization
    Pasteurization

    Pasteurization is a process which slows microbial growth in foods. The process was named after its creator, France chemist and microbiologist Louis Pasteur....


External links

  • The Dynamic High Pressure
  • with detailed description
  • along with theories on how the homogenization mechanism actually works.