Action of enzymes on plastics

The deterioration of plastic by microorganisms is due to an extracellular process of enzymatic activity. The enzymes secreted by organisms as part of their life cycle are reactive chemicals that are able to break down large molecules such as plastic and plasticizers into smaller ones since large molecules cannot pass through the organism cell wall. These smaller molecules can be absorbed into the microbes through their cell walls. The cell receives the nutrients it needs via various chemical pathways thus survival and reproduction. 

Passage of small molecules through the cell wall 

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