Final answer:
If proper folding and assembly of a protein fail, protein degradation occurs. Protein degradation is an important quality control mechanism in the cell to remove aberrant proteins.
Step-by-step explanation:
If proper folding and assembly of a protein fail, protein degradation occurs (a). If the protein cannot fold or assemble correctly, it is prone to be recognized as misfolded or defective and may be targeted for degradation by cellular machinery, such as proteasomes. Protein degradation is an important quality control mechanism in the cell to remove aberrant proteins.