Detergents disrupt hydrophobic interactions by coating hydrophobic molecules with molecules that have a hydrophilic surface.  When hemoglobin is treated with a detergent, the four polypeptide subunits separate and become random coils*.  Explain this observation.

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Author:Lubert Stryer, Jeremy M. Berg, John L. Tymoczko, Gregory J. Gatto Jr.
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Detergents disrupt hydrophobic interactions by coating hydrophobic molecules with molecules that have a hydrophilic surface.  When hemoglobin is treated with a detergent, the four polypeptide subunits separate and become random coils*.  Explain this observation.

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Other proteins, such as antibodies, have polypeptide subunits that behave differently.  They lose function when treated with detergents, but they do not separate and become random coils.  What could cause this difference: how could they remain together but not have activity?

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