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What word is used to describe the reaction that uses water to break apart a large molecule?

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User Renate
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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.
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User Zach Leighton
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