AP BIOLOGY

Detailed explanation-1: -The altering of a protein’s molecular structure is known as denaturation. During denaturation, many of the weak connections and interactions (such as hydrogen bonds) inside a protein molecule that is responsible for the highly ordered structure of the protein in its natural (native) state, are broken.

Detailed explanation-2: -However, extreme high temperatures can cause an enzyme to lose its shape (denature) and stop working. pH: Each enzyme has an optimum pH range. Changing the pH outside of this range will slow enzyme activity. Extreme pH values can cause enzymes to denature.

Detailed explanation-3: -As with increases in temperature, extreme acidity or basicity can interrupt the molecular bonds holding an enzyme together. The loss of these intra-and inter-molecular interactions causes enzymes to lose their shape, resulting in denatured enzymes that are no longer functional.

Detailed explanation-4: -Most biological substrates lose their biological function when denatured. For example, enzymes lose their activity, because the substrates can no longer bind to the active site, and because amino acid residues involved in stabilizing substrates’ transition states are no longer positioned to be able to do so.

Detailed explanation-5: -Denaturation implies the destruction of the tertiary structure of a protein molecule and the formation of random polypeptide chains.