Question

Extremophilic bacteria are able to survive in hostile environments, including scalding hot water found in springs and vents that reach temperatures over 100°C. Researchers studying these bacteria measured the function of a protein from an extremophile bacterium at 100°C, and they also measured the function of a similar protein from a human cell at 100°C. Which results do you think the researchers obtained?

Answer 1

Answer:

I think the results that the researches obtained are that the proteins isolated from extremophilic bacteria functioned normally but the human protein did not functioned at 100° celsius.

This result is obtained because protein produce by the thermophiles is thermostable and produce thermostable enzymes that are structurally and functionally different from enzymes of other organisms because thermophilic enzymes have the capability to withstand high temperature and work properly.

In humans, proteins or enzymes get destroyed in high temperatures because high temperatures denature the proteins. Human proteins or enzymes function well at 37° celsius, and above 41° celsius it starts denaturing.

Therefore human protein will not function at high temperature but extremophile protein will function normally.