Re: how does heat affect proteins? (was Re: Invasive Breas...

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In a message dated 7/26/03 10:04:06 AM Eastern Daylight Time,

s.fisher22@... writes:

> ---->dennis, what exactly IS " denaturing " ? biochemically...what happens?

Denaturing is causing the protein to lose its shape. Proteins have a shape

by certain atoms making Hydrogen-bonds with each other which is not a covalent

bond like in the rest of the atom but is more like static cling, in a way.

Heating speeds up any chemical reaction, including reactions that will attract

these H atoms elsewhere and lose their " clinginess " to the N, O, or F atom to

which they are attached (probably no F atoms in proteins?).

This is the reason your body goes into fevers when you are sick-- to attack

the invader by denaturing all its proteins.

Chris