Word
hydrolysis
Phoneticshy·drol·y·sis
US/haɪˈdɹɑɫəsəs/
UK/haɪdɹˈɒləsˌɪs/
Definition
n. a chemical process where a substance reacts with water to break down into smaller parts. It is like the opposite of putting things together; instead, you are taking them apart using water.
n. a chemical reaction in which a molecule is split into two parts by the addition of a water molecule. This process is fundamental in biology for breaking down complex molecules like starch and proteins.
Examples
“The body uses hydrolysis to break down food into energy.”
“During the digestion of carbohydrates, hydrolysis occurs as enzymes break the long sugar chains into smaller glucose units.”
“The industrial production of biodiesel relies on the hydrolysis of triglycerides to produce glycerol and fatty acid methyl esters, which are then refined into fuel.”
Examples
simple
“The body uses hydrolysis to break down food into energy.”
contextual
“During the digestion of carbohydrates, hydrolysis occurs as enzymes break the long sugar chains into smaller glucose units.”
complex
“The industrial production of biodiesel relies on the hydrolysis of triglycerides to produce glycerol and fatty acid methyl esters, which are then refined into fuel.”
Real-World Examples
“Photograph: Loop Biotech In recent years options such as alkaline hydrolysis (a cremation-like process that uses water instead of fire), natural burials without embalming, and even shallow burials have become available.” “The study is published in the journal Food Chemistry , and the results show that enzymatic hydrolysis can significantly reduce the immunoreactivity of peanut proteins.” Etymology
From hydro- + -lysis.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Domain
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/hydrolysis