What is a common consequence of enzyme denaturation?

What is a common consequence of enzyme denaturation?

• A. Increased catalytic activity.
• B. Loss of three-dimensional structure and function.
• C. No change in function but altered stability.
• D. Enzyme becomes more resistant to temperature changes.

Answer: (B)

Denaturation unfolds the protein and destroys its precise three‑dimensional shape. Enzymes depend on that specific structure to form the active site that binds substrates and accelerates chemical reactions. When a protein’s folds are disrupted by heat, extreme pH, or chemicals, the active site is altered or lost, so substrates can no longer bind properly and catalytic activity drops to little or none. This is why a common consequence of denaturation is a loss of both structure and function.

The other ideas don’t fit because changing the shape to something nonfunctional typically reduces activity rather than increasing it, and denaturation usually compromises stability rather than making the enzyme more resistant to temperature changes. Some denatured proteins can refold under certain conditions, but that’s not the typical outcome under most denaturing environments, where function is generally lost.