Native State

In biochemistry, the native state of a protein or nucleic acid is its properly folded and/or assembled form, which is operative and functional. The native state of a biomolecule may possess all four levels of biomolecular structure, with the secondary through quaternary structure being formed from weak interactions along the covalently-bonded backbone. This is in contrast to the denatured state, in which these weak interactions are disrupted, leading to the loss of these forms of structure and retaining only the biomolecule's primary structure.

An alternate usage in metallurgy refers to metals which are found chemically uncombined in nature.

Read more about Native State:  Metallurgy

Famous quotes containing the words native and/or state:

    The prayers I make will then be sweet indeed,
    If thou the spirit give by which I pray;
    My unassisted heart is barren clay,
    Which of its native self can nothing feed;
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    Chippenhook was the home of Judge Theophilus Harrington, known for his trenchant reply to an irate slave-owner in a runaway slave case. Judge Harrington declared that the owner’s claim to the slave was defective. The owner indignantly demanded to know what was lacking in his legally sound claim. The Judge exploded, ‘A bill of sale, sir, from God Almighty!’
    —For the State of Vermont, U.S. public relief program (1935-1943)