Protein Denaturation

Denaturation is the loss of a protein's native three-dimensional (secondary/tertiary/quaternary) structure, without necessarily breaking the primary sequence of amino acids itself. Exposure to heat makes the atoms of a protein vibrate violently, and this vibration disrupts the weaker hydrogen bonds and ionic bonds that hold the folded structure together. Once these stabilising bonds are broken, the compact protein unfolds into an elongated, disorganised strand, and typically loses its biological function completely. A range of chemical agents can cause the same effect even without heat - soap, detergents, strong acids, alcohol and certain disinfectants can all disrupt the bonds between different parts of a polypeptide chain, rendering the protein non-functional. This is why, for example, heat and disinfectants are effective at destroying the proteins of harmful microbes, and why cooking perman …