Ideas in this flowchart

• Proteins denature when exposed to abnormal environmental conditions.
• Denaturation is the physical change that occurs when a protein encounters an abnormal environment.
• Factors that can cause denaturation
• Heat can cause proteins to denature.
• Acid can cause proteins to denature.
• High salt concentrations can cause proteins to denature.
• Alcohol can cause proteins to denature.
• Mechanical agitation can cause proteins to denature.
• Structural changes during denaturation
• The protein’s complicated folded structure unravels.
• Weak forces holding the secondary and tertiary structures together are broken.
• The protein becomes a long, single strand of amino acids.
• Because protein function depends on shape, denatured proteins are no longer functional.
• Baking a cake is an example of heat-induced protein denaturation.