Question

Explain condensation reaction and hydrolysis in simple terms.

a) Condensation reaction is when two molecules combine, releasing water, while hydrolysis is the breakdown of a compound into its components using water.
b) Condensation reaction occurs when water evaporates from a substance, and hydrolysis is the process of adding water to break down a compound.
c) Condensation reaction involves the formation of water, while hydrolysis involves the removal of water from a substance.
d) Condensation reaction is the opposite of hydrolysis, where water is removed to form complex molecules.

Answer 1

Condensation reactions combine molecules into larger ones, releasing water, while hydrolysis uses water to split large molecules into smaller ones. Both reactions are crucial in biochemistry for the construction and breakdown of macromolecules like proteins and carbohydrates.

Step-by-step explanation:

A condensation reaction is a chemical process where two molecules combine to form a larger molecule, with the loss of a small molecule, often water. This often happens when building large biomolecules, or macromolecules, like proteins or carbohydrates. For instance, when two amino acids link together through a peptide bond, a molecule of water is released. Similarly, dehydration synthesis is a specific type of condensation reaction where a water molecule is produced when two monomers combine to form polymers.

On the other hand, hydrolysis is essentially the opposite process, where a water molecule is used to break down a larger molecule into its monomers. During hydrolysis, one part of the severed compound bonds with a hydrogen atom, while the other bonds with a hydroxyl group, resulting from the split of a water molecule.

Both condensation reactions and hydrolysis are critical for the formation and degradation of complex molecules in biological systems. The manipulation of these reactions allows for the dynamic regulation of biological structures and functions.