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The familiar gelatin dessert actually is a good example of the process of coagulation of
proteins into a 3-dimensional latticework that entraps water molecules to produce a
semisolid gel.
Primary structure is the peptide bond between individual amino acids that creates a
long chain of connected amino acids.These long chains of polymerized amino acids have
hydrophobic(water repelling) and hydrophilic(water attracting) projections that are
oriented perpendicular to the chain.
Secondary structure is the helix that the protein chain curls into,as a result of hydrogen
bonds and other weak forces.
Tertiary structures is created when the protein molecules fold back on themselves
outside of the helical segments,to put the hydrophobic portions to the interior and the
hydrophilic portions to the exterior.
Several helix regions can exist in different portions of the molecules.When the protein
has folded and refolded to reach its most stable configurations,it will have mostly
hydrophilic amino acid residues on the exterior,and mostly hydrophobic residues directed
into the interior.
The peptide bonds are largely hydrophilic.Once these segments are set from each
other,they attract water molecules.The recruitment of water molecules entraps the water
molecules in close proximity to the protein strands. The hydrophobic portions of the
molecules are also exposed.This situation is unfavored because the hydrophobic portions
of molecules are not stable in an aqueous environment.Hence,upon unfolding,the
hydrophobic regions on individual protein molecules will associate with hydrophobic
regions on other protein molecules.
This situation encourages the association of these protein molecules into larger and
larger random 3-dimensional structures.The molecules aggregate into very large,water-
insoluble collections that are quite randomly assembled.
As the proteins denature,lattice-work structure grow amorphously and attract the solvent
water molecules into cell-like structures.
As this process continues irreversibly,all of the protein molecules are recruited to this
large insoluble mass in randomly organized structural framework that contains entrapped
water molecules.