Final answer:
During heat shock, cells regulate the transcription and translation of heat shock proteins (HSPs) to protect against metabolic damage by refolding misfolded proteins.
Step-by-step explanation:
During heat shock, the transcription and translation of heat shock proteins (HSPs) are regulated to protect cells against metabolic damage. When the temperature gets high enough, cells shut down most transcription and instead transcribe HSP genes. The resulting HSPs help refold misfolded proteins and protect cells until temperatures return to normal. This is an adaptive response to heat stress.