Ellen Larsen, age 14, of Granger, Utah, for her question:

WHAT IS ISINGLASS?

Isinglass is the purest form of animal gelatin. Prepared from the air bladders ,of certain fish, the silvery¬ white, tough, semitransparent substance usually comes from the Russian sturgeon, cod and hake.

Prepared isinglass is used to clarify wine, beer and other liquors and is also used in making certain cements, jams, jellies and soups.

Many people think that the partly transparent sheets used in the panels of stove doors are isinglass. This is not true, although some are incorrectly labeled this way. These panels are actually made from the mineral mica.