Planning Exercise – An investigation to find out the lowest concentration of copper (II) sulphate solution possible that will denature egg albumen

Aim

To find out the lowest concentration of copper (II) sulphate solution that brings about full denaturation of egg albumen.


Background Information

Denaturation is the breakdown of the bonds forming the quaternary, tertiary and secondary structures of proteins and nucleic acids. Changes in the shape of a protein lead to its inactivation. Albumen is a globular protein, which contains carbon, oxygen, nitrogen and hydrogen. Proteins usually contain sulphur too.

Globular proteins are composed of a rounded, compact mass of an intertwined protein chain. the precise shape of the globular form is due to the interrelations of the component amino acids as they seek the lowest free energy state for the protein. Once the lowest free energy state for a particular protein has been achieved, it is said to be in its native or functional state. Only when in its native, or low energy, state does a protein manifest all of its characteristic properties and biological functions.



Th...