Eli5: As I understand, a prion is a misfolded protein. How does misfolding apparently give it the ability to break everything?
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Proteins can be folded into enzymes which act as both a holder and tool to make certain chemical reactions, like breaking or fusing molecules, easier.
Prions are misfolded proteins that act like enzymes to take a certain protein and change them to the misfolded prion shape. It’s like a hammer that hits pieces of metal into more of the same hammers.
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