Hydrolysis

Hydrolysis is a chemical reaction in which water breaks a bond, typically adding hydrogen and hydroxyl groups to the resulting products.

Acid–base catalysis: A reaction mechanism in which proton donation or acceptance accelerates a chemical reaction. Acids and bases activate water or the target bond, making hydrolysis faster.
Chemical bond: An attraction that holds atoms or ions together in a substance. Hydrolysis is defined by breaking a bond through reaction with water.
Digestion: The breakdown of food into molecules that can be absorbed and used by an organism. Digestive enzymes hydrolyze food polymers into absorbable products.
Condensation reaction: A reaction in which two molecules join while releasing a small molecule, often water. Condensation commonly forms bonds that hydrolysis breaks.
Nucleophilic substitution: A reaction in which a nucleophile replaces a leaving group attached to an electrophilic center. Many hydrolyses replace a leaving group with a group derived from water.
Covalent bond: A chemical bond formed when atoms share electron pairs. Many familiar hydrolysis reactions cleave covalent bonds.
ATP hydrolysis: The reaction that converts ATP and water into ADP and inorganic phosphate, or other products. Cells couple this specific hydrolysis reaction to many energy-demanding processes.
Dehydration synthesis: A bond-forming reaction in which the removal of water links molecular units. It is the water-releasing counterpart to hydrolytic bond cleavage.
Enzyme catalysis: The acceleration of chemical reactions by enzymes through substrate binding and stabilization of reaction pathways. Hydrolase enzymes position water and substrates to cleave bonds selectively.
Chemical equilibrium: A state in which forward and reverse reaction rates are equal, so concentrations remain constant. Equilibrium determines how far a reversible hydrolysis proceeds.

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