NEETChemistryBiomolecules
Which of the following statements correctly distinguishes protein denaturation from protein hydrolysis?
Options
- ADenaturation breaks peptide bonds to unfold the protein, while hydrolysis breaks hydrogen bonds to yield free
- BBoth processes destroy the primary structure of the protein, but only hydrolysis yields free amino acids.
- CDenaturation alters the sequence of amino acids in the polypeptide chain, while hydrolysis only unfolds the se
- DDenaturation disrupts hydrogen bonds while leaving the primary structure intact, whereas hydrolysis breaks pep
Correct answer
D. Denaturation disrupts hydrogen bonds while leaving the primary structure intact, whereas hydrolysis breaks pep
Step-by-step solution
Denaturation of a protein is caused by physical or chemical changes (like heating or pH change) that disturb the hydrogen bonds. This destroys the secondary and tertiary structures, but the primary structure (the sequence of amino acids) remains intact. In contrast, hydrolysis of a protein involves the chemical cleavage of the covalent peptide bonds that link the amino acids together, thereby destroying the primary structure and ultimately yielding free amino acids. Answer: Denaturation disrupts hydrogen bonds whil