Question

Each enzyme has a temperature at which it works best. A slight increase in temperature can increase enzyme activity while a large increase in temperature can cause the enzyme to become denatured. Which of the following best explains what happens when a protein becomes denatured.


A. The enzyme absorbs heat until the temperature decreases, and the reaction then continues normally.

B. The enzyme loses its shape and is no longer able to catalyze chemical reactions.

C. The enzyme breaks apart into the amino acids that originally combined to form the enzyme.

D. The enzyme unfolds and re folds into a different shape, and is used to catalyze a different chemical reaction.

Answer 1

Most proteins are denatured when people eat them. Cooking egg whites denatures the protein. Denaturing rearranges the proteins, but does not destroy them. Some high heat denatured protein is inferior in nutritional value. Denaturing protein requires precise temperature adjustments and often a process that renatures the protein before use in powders and supplements. Undenatured protein supplements forgo the denaturing process and have more of the original nutrients. Protein supplements are mostly denatured to increase absorption and reduce contaminants.