Casein

High school (ages 12+)
Food & Cooking

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/casein

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the protein family composition?Includes alpha-S1, alpha-S2, beta, and kappa casein, all phosphoproteins
2. What is the structural organization in milk?Organized into colloidal casein micelles, stabilized by calcium phosphate and kappa-casein
3. What is casein and why is it important in milk?Casein is a family of proteins that makes up about 80% of the protein in cow's milk. It helps form cheese, gives milk its structure, and supplies essential amino acids, calcium, and phosphorus for healthy growth.
4. How does casein help make cheese?When milk's pH changes or rennet is added, casein proteins clump together to form curds. These curds are then pressed and aged to become cheese.

Supramolecular Structure: A complex assembly of multiple molecules that are held together by non-covalent forces.
Amphiphilic: Possessing both hydrophilic (water-attracting) and hydrophobic (water-repelling) regions, enabling interaction with diverse interfaces.
Colloidal Stability: The ability of a colloidal suspension (like casein micelles in milk) to resist aggregation and remain dispersed.