hydrolysis

(noun)

A biochemical reaction in which water molecules are used to break down a molecule into smaller molecules.

Related Terms

  • intracellular fluid
  • bioelectrical impedance analysis
  • amylase
  • extracellular fluid
  • peptidase

(noun)

The degradation of certain biopolymers (proteins, complex sugars) by the chemical process that results in smaller polymers or monomers (such as amino acids or monosaccharides)

Related Terms

  • intracellular fluid
  • bioelectrical impedance analysis
  • amylase
  • extracellular fluid
  • peptidase

Examples of hydrolysis in the following topics:

  • Mechanisms of Chemical Digestion

    • Chemical digestion is the process of breakdown of large macronutrients into smaller molecules by enzyme-mediated hydrolysis.
    • Proteins and polypeptides are digested by hydrolysis of the C-N bond .
    • Proteins and polypeptides are digested by hydrolysis of the C-N bond.
  • Absorptive State

    • This main product of fat digestion is first broken down to fatty acids and glycerol through hydrolysis using lipoprotein lipase.
  • Malabsorption of Nutrients

    • Enzymatic hydrolysis is initiated by intraluminal processes requiring gastric, pancreatic, and biliary secretions.
    • Intestinal malabsorption may be due to mucosal damage (enteropathy); congenital or acquired reduction in absorptive surface; defects of specific hydrolysis; defects of ion transport; pancreatic insufficiency; or impaired enterohepatic circulation.
  • Proteins: Sources, Uses in the Body, and Dietary Requirements

    • Ingested proteins are then broken down into amino acids through digestion, which typically involves denaturation of the protein through exposure to acid and hydrolysis by enzymes called proteases.
  • Water Content in the Body

    • Water itself is also a key component of biochemical reactions involved in physiology, such as hydrolysis.
  • Dental Caries

    • Dental caries, also known as tooth decay or a cavity, is an infection, usually bacterial in origin, that causes demineralization of the hard tissues (enamel, dentin, and cementum) and destruction of the organic matter of the tooth, usually by production of acid by hydrolysis of the food debris accumulated on the tooth surface.
  • Erectile Dysfunction and the Blue Pill

    • The cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterases constitutes a group of enzymes that catalyze the hydrolysis of the cyclic nucleotides cyclic AMP and cyclic GMP.
  • Ion Channels

    • Example of primary active transport, where energy from hydrolysis of ATP is directly coupled to the movement of a specific substance across a membrane independent of any other species.
  • Mouth

    • The fluid of saliva also contains several enzymes, notably lysozyme—an antibacterial agent—and amylase, which catalyzes large starch molecules into simpler sugars via hydrolysis.
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