Question

Animal cells are most likely to demonstrate protein aggregates when they are__________

Answer 1

Protein aggregates in animal cells typically form under stress or due to dysfunction, and are prominently seen in diseases like Parkinson's Disease, where alpha-synuclein changes conformation.

Step-by-step explanation:

Animal cells are most likely to demonstrate protein aggregates when they are experiencing stress or dysfunction. Conditions such as heat shock, oxidative stress, or toxin exposure can disrupt protein folding, leading to aggregate formation.

Diseases like Parkinson's Disease are characterized by the accumulation of abnormal protein aggregates in brain cells, where the protein alpha-synuclein undergoes an anomalous conformational change, resulting in the disease.

This is supported by high-resolution electron microscopy that illustrates protein structure and conformational changes, a technique for which the 2017 Nobel Prize for Chemistry was awarded.