denaturation

American  

[dee-ney-chuh-rey-shuhn] / diˌneɪ tʃəˈreɪ ʃən /

noun

1. the act or process of rendering an alcohol unfit for drinking by adding an unwholesome substance that does not alter its usefulness for other purposes.

   New legislation made the denaturation of industrial alcohol compulsory.

2. Biochemistry. the act or process of altering the original state of a protein or the like through chemical or physical means.

   Acid and heat both cause a denaturation of protein, breaking bonds in the protein’s secondary and tertiary structure.

3. the act or process of depriving something of its natural character or properties.

   Totalitarianism emerges from the denaturation of religion and politics.

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Etymology

Origin of denaturation

denatur(e) ( def. ) + -ation ( def. )

Example Sentences

One example of irreversible protein denaturation is when an egg is fried.

From Textbooks • Jun. 9, 2022

If the protein is subject to changes in temperature, changes in pH, or exposure to chemicals, the protein structure may change, losing its shape without losing its primary sequence in what is known as denaturation.

From Textbooks • Jun. 9, 2022

An everyday example of protein denaturation is the curdling of milk when acidic lemon juice is added.

From Textbooks • Jun. 19, 2013

Sometimes denaturation is irreversible, leading to a loss of function.

From Textbooks • Apr. 25, 2013

There was therefore not only a denaturation, but an enervation of our poetry.

From Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, Volume 57, No. 353, March 1845 by Various