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?

Answer 1

Proteins (enzymes) have different levels of structure: primary, secondary, tertiary, and sometimes quaternary. In 2nd and 3rd, they form bonds within their protein components, hence their amino acids bend and loop to form bonds with amino acids on other areas of the protein. These links can be hydrogen bonds, sulfide bonds, etc. Temperatures above optimal can break these linkages, rendering the enzyme inactive or unable to catalyze the reaction(s).