A hydrolysis reaction results in which two of the following?
Water is split apart.
Two molecules are split apart.
Water is formed.
Two molecules are combined.
The correct answer and explanation is :
The correct answer is: Two molecules are split apart.
Explanation:
A hydrolysis reaction is a chemical reaction where water (H₂O) is used to break down a compound. The word “hydrolysis” comes from two Greek words: “hydro” meaning water, and “lysis” meaning to break apart. In this reaction, water is the reactant that helps split or break down a larger molecule into smaller components.
Here’s a breakdown of how hydrolysis works:
- Two molecules are split apart: Hydrolysis typically involves the breaking of a bond between two parts of a molecule. For example, when a disaccharide (like sucrose) undergoes hydrolysis, it is broken down into two monosaccharides (glucose and fructose). Similarly, in the case of polymers like proteins or nucleic acids, hydrolysis breaks down the long chains into their constituent monomers, such as amino acids or nucleotides. The key characteristic of hydrolysis is that it splits a larger molecule into two smaller parts.
What hydrolysis does NOT result in:
- Water is split apart: Hydrolysis does not split water apart into hydrogen and oxygen atoms. In fact, water is added to the reaction, not broken down. This distinguishes hydrolysis from a different process called decomposition, where compounds might be broken into simpler components.
- Water is formed: In hydrolysis, water is used as a reactant rather than a product. This contrasts with condensation reactions, where water is a product, and smaller molecules combine to form a larger one.
- Two molecules are combined: This is the opposite of what hydrolysis does. Hydrolysis involves breaking down molecules, not combining them. When two molecules are combined by removing water, the process is known as dehydration synthesis or condensation.
In summary, hydrolysis is a process where water is used to break a bond between two molecules, resulting in two smaller molecules.