Denaturation of Proteins

Each protein has a unique three-dimensional structure held together by interactions such as disulphide bonds, hydrogen bonds, and hydrophobic and electrostatic interactions. These stabilising interactions can be disturbed when the protein is exposed to higher temperature, to certain chemicals such as urea, or to a change in pH or ionic strength, and this disturbance leads to a partial or complete loss of the protein's three-dimensional (higher-order) structure. This process -- losing the higher-order structure while the primary structure (the amino-acid sequence itself) stays intact -- is called denaturation. When a protein denatures, its biological function is lost along with its shape. …