Question

1. proteins carry out a variety of functions, and their function is critically dependent upon their structure and shape. enzymes are proteins. what would happen to the structure and function of an enzyme that was exposed to heat or a drastic change in ph?
2. when people get their hair chemically straightened, one chemical is put on the hair to break the disulfide bonds that give the hair strands their shape (curled) and a second chemical is used to reform the disulfide bonds to hold the hair in a new position (straight).

a. what level(s) of protein structure is/are affected by these processes?
b. why doesnt the hair stay straight forever after this treatment?

Explanation:

For question 25, high heat or drastic pH changes disrupt hydrogen bonds and other non - covalent interactions in enzymes, causing denaturation which changes structure and function. For 26a, disulfide bonds are involved in tertiary and quaternary protein structure, so these levels are affected. For 26b, hair doesn't stay straight forever because new hair growth has the original protein structure with its natural disulfide bond arrangement, and environmental factors can also break and re - form disulfide bonds over time.

Answer:

1. The enzyme would denature, losing its normal structure and function due to the disruption of non - covalent bonds like hydrogen bonds.

26a. Tertiary and quaternary levels of protein structure are affected as disulfide bonds are involved in these levels.
26b. New hair growth has the original protein structure with natural disulfide bond arrangement, and environmental factors can break and re - form disulfide bonds over time.