Editing Denaturation (biochemistry) (section)

==== Denaturation due to air ====
Small, [[Electronegativity|electronegative]] molecules such as [[nitrogen]] and [[oxygen]], which are the primary gases in [[Atmosphere of Earth|air]], significantly impact the ability of surrounding molecules to participate in [[hydrogen bond]]ing.<ref name=":1">{{cite journal|last2=Schoeffler|first2=G.|last3=McGlynn|first3=S. P.|date=July 1985|title=The effects of selected gases upon ethanol: hydrogen bond breaking by O and N|journal=Canadian Journal of Chemistry|volume=63|issue=7|pages=1864–1869|doi=10.1139/v85-309|last1=Mathers|first1=T. L.|doi-access=free}}</ref> These molecules compete with surrounding hydrogen bond acceptors for hydrogen bond donors, therefore acting as "hydrogen bond breakers" and weakening interactions between surrounding molecules in the environment.<ref name=":1" /> [[Antiparallel (biochemistry)|Antiparellel strands]] in DNA double helices are non-covalently bound by hydrogen bonding between base pairs;<ref>{{cite book|title=Lehninger principles of biochemistry|date=2008|publisher=W.H. Freeman|isbn=9780716771081|edition=5th|location=New York|last1=Cox|first1=David L. Nelson, Michael M.|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/lehningerprincip00lehn_1}}</ref> nitrogen and oxygen therefore maintain the potential to weaken the integrity of DNA when exposed to air.<ref name="DNA Air">{{cite journal|last2=Schoeffler|first2=G.|last3=McGlynn|first3=S. P.|date=1982|title=Hydrogen-bond breaking by O/sub 2/ and N/sub 2/. II. Melting curves of DNA|doi=10.2172/5693881|last1=Mathers|first1=T. L.|osti=5693881|url=https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc1089485/m2/1/high_res_d/5693881.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180724122925/https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc1089485/m2/1/high_res_d/5693881.pdf |archive-date=2018-07-24 |url-status=live}}</ref> As a result, DNA strands exposed to air require less force to separate and exemplify lower [[Nucleic acid thermodynamics|melting temperatures]].<ref name="DNA Air" />