Apentix/AP Biology/Unit 1: Chemistry of Life/Question
AP Biologyeasymcq1 pt

Amylase boiled for ten minutes can no longer digest starch even after the solution cools back to room temperature. What is the most likely reason?

A.Heat disrupted the folded shape of the active site, and the tangled chains cannot refold properly
B.Boiling snapped the peptide bonds and destroyed the amino acid sequence
C.The starch was destroyed by heat before the enzyme ever acted
D.Cooling trapped the amino groups in an inactive charged form

Explanation

Core Concept

Boiling overwhelms the weak interactions that hold an enzyme's precise tertiary shape. Unfolded regions expose sticky internal surfaces and aggregate with one another, so cooling leaves a jumbled mass whose active site no longer cradles starch. The amino acid sequence remains untouched, which rules out backbone destruction, and the starch itself is undamaged since plainly boiled starch digests fine when fresh enzyme is added.

Correct Answer

AHeat disrupted the folded shape of the active site, and the tangled chains cannot refold properly

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