During yesterday's lecture, I started talking about how changes in temperature can cause a protein to change its shape and lose its function.
Then, for an every day example, I gave my students the example of a fried egg. Here's my quote:
"When you heat the egg, the protein changes shape, and the clear part becomes white. When you cool it back down, the egg stays white, so those proteins do not regain their function. They do however, retain their deliciousness."
I repeated that to a friend later in the day. He said it's a wonder that I don't have at least one student off him/herself every lecture.
6 comments:
what was their function in the first place, if not to be delicious?
Actually, they GAIN their deliciousness through the transformation...and the addition of butter/salt/pepper. :)
I did an evaluation at Cirque Lodge last night. One of the staff came up to me and said, "I think I was in one of your classes at college." We realized that she had been. She didn't say it was a good class or anything, so I am sure she thought it was lame. :)
Your friends are very honest aren't they? Do you ever wish they'd dial it back a bit? :)
I like it. I think if you can work the word deliciousness into more conversations, it would be a good thing. Ha.
I'm the Walrus.
Pretty sure the frying part is what makes the clear part not only turn white, but also what gives them the deliciousness...
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