B1.2.5

• Denaturation: a change to the conformation of the protein as the bonds and interactions are relatively weak and they can be disrupted or broken.
• A denatured protein usually doesn’t return to its former structure - the denaturation is permanent.
• Denaturation can be cause by heat because it causes vibrations within the molecule that can break intermolecular bonds or interactions.
• Extremes of pH can cause denaturation. This is because positive and negative charges on R-groups are changed which breaks ionic bonds within the protein or causes New Ionic bonds to form.
• The three-dimensional structure of the protein is altered and proteins become insoluble for both heat and pH.