conformation

The various three dimensional shapes that can be adopted by a given molecule. In particular, the different ways in which the of a biological polymer may be folded. This is determined by intra-molecular forces, including hydrogen bonding and, in protein s, disulphide bridges . In protein s, conformation is often critical for biological activity, and the functions of some molecules are carried out by switching between two alternative stable conformations. The native conformation found in vivo may be changed to typically less ordered, uncharacterized, and usually biologically-inactive forms by denaturing.