denature
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denature
[dē′nā·chər] (chemistry)
To change a protein by heating it or treating it with alkali or acid so that the original properties such as solubility are changed as a result of the protein's molecular structure being changed in some way.
To add a denaturant, such as methyl alcohol, to grain alcohol to make the grain alcohol poisonous and unfit for human consumption.
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific & Technical Terms, 6E, Copyright © 2003 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.