Q.Boiling an egg turns the transparent, runny egg white into an opaque, solid mass. Explain this observation in terms of protein denaturation.

Egg white is largely a solution of the protein albumin, which in its native, correctly folded state is soluble in water and appears as a clear, transparent, runny liquid.

On boiling, the heat denatures the albumin: the weak, non-covalent interactions holding its natural folded shape together are disrupted, causing the polypeptide chains to unfold. Once unfolded, previously buried hydrophobic parts of the chains become exposed, and the unfolded chains tend to tangle together and aggregate with one another -- a process called coagulation. This tangled, aggregated network of denatured protein is no longer soluble in water, and it scatters light rather than transmitting it clearly, which is why the egg white visibly changes from a clear, runny liquid to an opaque, solid mass on cooking. This change is essentially irreversible -- c …

Identify the specific protein involved (albumin), then connect the physical observation (clear-to-opaque, liquid-to-solid) to the underlying molecula …

Describing this as the protein being 'destroyed' or 'chemically decomposed' -- the amino-acid sequence (primary structure) and the protein molecules themselves are still present; what changes …