Final answer:
Dehydration synthesis creates polymers from monomers by covalently bonding them together and releasing water. Hydrolysis splits polymers back into monomers by adding water to break their covalent bonds.
Step-by-step explanation:
Dehydration Synthesis and Hydrolysis
When monomers join to form polymers, this process is known as dehydration synthesis or condensation, where each monomer contributes by losing components that form water. For example, one monomer gives up a hydrogen atom, while another gives up a hydroxyl group, thus releasing a molecule of water and forming a covalent bond between the monomers. This is critical for the synthesis of biological macromolecules like carbohydrates, proteins, and nucleic acids.
Hydrolysis, on the other hand, is the process where polymers are split back into monomers. It requires the addition of a water molecule, with the hydrogen atom from the water attaching to one monomer and the hydroxyl group attaching to the other, breaking the covalent bond between monomers in the polymer. This reaction is essential for the digestion and recycling of biological macromolecules.