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Multiple Choice
What happens to the enzyme pepsin when it is boiled?
A
It becomes more active due to increased temperature.
B
It is converted into a different enzyme.
C
It remains unchanged and continues to function normally.
D
It becomes denatured and loses its enzymatic activity.
Verified step by step guidance
1
Understand the concept of enzyme denaturation: Enzymes are proteins that have a specific three-dimensional structure essential for their function. High temperatures, such as boiling, can disrupt this structure, leading to denaturation.
Recognize the role of pepsin: Pepsin is a digestive enzyme that functions optimally in acidic conditions and at moderate temperatures. Extreme heat, like boiling, exceeds its tolerance range.
Explain the process of denaturation: When pepsin is exposed to boiling temperatures, the heat breaks the hydrogen bonds and other interactions that maintain its structure, causing it to unfold and lose its functional shape.
Discuss the impact of denaturation on enzymatic activity: The active site of pepsin, where substrate binding and catalysis occur, is lost during denaturation, rendering the enzyme inactive.
Conclude that boiling pepsin leads to its denaturation, meaning it loses its enzymatic activity and cannot function normally anymore.