Question

What type of reaction involves the breakdown of a molecule by the addition of water?

Answer 1

This is called hydrolysis , in which chemical bonds in a compound are broken by the addition of water. In this case, a disaccharide molecule undergoes hydrolysis and is split into two monosaccharide molecules. In living systems, this requires the assistance of enzymes, such as sucrase, maltase, and lactase, depending on the disaccharide. The following diagram shows the hydrolysis of a molecule of sucrose.