The following sections of this BookRags Literature Study Guide is offprint from Gale's For Students Series: Presenting Analysis, Context, and Criticism on Commonly Studied Works: Introduction, Author Biography, Plot Summary, Characters, Themes, Style, Historical Context, Critical Overview, Criticism and Critical Essays, Media Adaptations, Topics for Further Study, Compare & Contrast, What Do I Read Next?, For Further Study, and Sources.
(c)1998-2002; (c)2002 by Gale. Gale is an imprint of The Gale Group, Inc., a division of Thomson Learning, Inc. Gale and Design and Thomson Learning are trademarks used herein under license.
The following sections, if they exist, are offprint from Beacham's Encyclopedia of Popular Fiction: "Social Concerns", "Thematic Overview", "Techniques", "Literary Precedents", "Key Questions", "Related Titles", "Adaptations", "Related Web Sites". (c)1994-2005, by Walton Beacham.
The following sections, if they exist, are offprint from Beacham's Guide to Literature for Young Adults: "About the Author", "Overview", "Setting", "Literary Qualities", "Social Sensitivity", "Topics for Discussion", "Ideas for Reports and Papers". (c)1994-2005, by Walton Beacham.
All other sections in this Literature Study Guide are owned and copyrighted by BookRags, Inc.
Gelatin is a mixture of water-soluble proteins derived from the partial hydrolysis of collagen obtained from the skin, connective tissue, and bones of animals. It is a colorless to slightly yellow material that is produced in sheets, flakes, or powder. It is practically odorless and tasteless. In an aqueous solution it absorbs 5-10 times its weight of water and creates a stable gel. Since gelatin is derived from collagen, it is composed of various amino acids. The most prevalent amino acids are glycine, proline, and hydroxyproline.
The origin of gelatin is unknown but it was likely to have been accidently discovered after boiling the remains of animals that were killed for food. This process would produce a substance that remained liquid when hot and solid when cooled. The first known commercial production of gelatin was in Holland in 1685. By 1700, England was producing gelatin. It was first produced in the United States in 1808. In 1993, about 75 million pounds of gelatin were being produced in America annually.
Gelatin has numerous uses. Since it is generally recognized as safe for ingestion, it is used extensively in food products as a stabilizer, thickener, binding agent, emulsifier, adhesive agent, film former, and texturizer. Products that contain gelatin include gummi candies, confections, marshmallows, meats, beer, jellies, and cream soups. In the pharmaceutical industry gelatin is an important suspending or encapsulating compound. Hard or soft gelatin capsules are produced and filled with various pharmaceutical doses. Gelatin is also used as a coating and binder for tablets. Other important applications for gelatin include film processing, the manufacture of cement, adhesives, rubber substitutes, and artificial silk. In addition, it has been used as a plasma expander and for the preparation of bacterial cultures.