Denaturation of a protein involves
- A. hydrolysis of all its peptide bonds
- B. loss of its three dimensional shape while the amino acid sequence remains intact
- C. a change in its amino acid sequence
- D. conversion of the protein into a carbohydrate
Explanation
Heat, extreme pH, heavy metal ions and alcohol break the weak interactions holding the fold, so the chain unravels and biological activity is lost, but the covalent peptide backbone survives. This is why a boiled egg sets irreversibly without breaking down into amino acids. Hydrolysis of the peptide bonds is digestion, a different process requiring enzymes or prolonged heating with acid.