What occurs during the denaturation of a protein?

During the denaturation of a protein, the protein's secondary structure is lost. Denaturation involves the disruption of the non-covalent interactions—such as hydrogen bonds, ionic bonds, and hydrophobic interactions—that stabilize the protein's complex structure. As a result, the secondary structures, which typically include alpha helices and beta sheets, unravel and lose their organized shapes. However, the primary structure, made up of the linear sequence of amino acids, remains intact. This change can significantly affect the protein's functionality, as the structure of a protein is closely tied to its biological activity.

The denaturation process does not lead to the complete degradation of the protein nor does it involve the synthesis of new proteins; rather, it alters the existing structure which may be a reversible process under certain conditions.