The tertiary structure of a protein is the:. a. organization of a polypeptide into a corkscrew-like shape or a zigzag folding pattern as a result of hydrogen bonding between amino acids. b. part with three fatty acid tails and a glycerol head. c. bonding together of several polypeptide chains by weak bonds. d. order in which amino acids are joined in a polypeptide chain. e. unique three-dimensional shape of the fully folded polypeptide.

e. unique three-dimensional shape of the fully folded polypeptide.

Explanation:

The tertiary structure of a protein is the unique three-dimensional structure which emanates from the interaction between the “R groups” of the several amino acids that make up the polypeptide. Hydrogen bonding is one of the interactions that occur that gives the protein this structure. Other interactions are ionic bonding, dipole-dipole interactions, hydrophobic interactions, among others. The function of a protein is dependent on its tertiary structure, as a disruption of the tertiary structure causes a protein to be denatured, thereby rendering the protein not functional.