The changes in activity and unfolding of calf intestinal alkaline phosphatase (CIP) during denaturation in guanidinium chloride solutions of different concentrations were investigated using ultraviolet difference absorption spectra and fluorescence emission spectra. Unfolding and inactivation rate constants were measured and compared. The inactivation course is much faster than that of unfolding, which suggests that the active site of CIP containing two zinc ions and one magnesium ion is situated in a limited and flexible region of the enzyme molecule, which is more fragile to the denaturant than the protein as a whole.