72.6k views
2 votes
What word is used to describe the reaction that uses water to break apart a large molecule?

User Renate
by
8.3k points

1 Answer

2 votes
The answer is hydrolysis.

The word hydrolysis comes from two Greek words:
hydro - water
lysis - to unbind

So, hydrolysis is a reaction of breaking apart (unbinding) large molecules using water. For example, sucrose or table sugar is disaccharide made of two monosaccharides: fructose and glucose. Hydrolysis of sucrose means that water molecule break apart sucrose, i.e. unbind fructose and glucose.
User Zach Leighton
by
8.1k points