Question

Which of the following protein structures is destroyed by degradation?

1) Primary structure
2) Secondary structure
3) Tertiary structure
4) Quaternary structure

Answer 1

Protein degradation destroys the secondary, tertiary, and quaternary structures but not the primary amino acid sequence.

Step-by-step explanation:

When proteins undergo degradation, it's the higher structures, such as the secondary, tertiary, and quaternary structures, that are destroyed. The primary structure, which is the sequence of amino acids in the polypeptide chain, remains intact even during protein degradation. However, the biological function of a protein is most closely associated with the tertiary structure, which is the three-dimensional folding pattern formed due to interactions between the side chains of the amino acids.