hidrolisam

Hidrolisam is a term used in several languages to refer to hydrolysis, a chemical process in which a molecule reacts with water to cleave one or more chemical bonds, producing smaller molecules. The term is derived from water (hydro) and loosening or splitting (lysis).

There are two broad categories: chemical hydrolysis, where water participates in bond cleavage under catalytic conditions (acids, bases, or heat), and enzymatic hydrolysis, driven by enzymes called hydrolases that specifically cleave substrates such as proteins, nucleic acids, lipids, and carbohydrates.

In biology, hydrolysis is fundamental to digestion and metabolism, enabling organisms to break down complex macromolecules into absorbable units. In industry and the environment, hydrolysis is used to degrade esters, amides, glycosidic bonds, and other linkages, convert polymers into usable monomers, and treat wastes.

Common examples include ester hydrolysis producing carboxylic acids and alcohols, amide hydrolysis yielding carboxylic acids and amines, and glycosidic bond hydrolysis yielding monosaccharides. Enzymatic examples include proteases, lipases, nucleases, and glycosidases. The rate and outcome depend on conditions such as pH, temperature, solvent, and catalysts.

See also: hydrolysis; hydrolase; saponification; digestion; polymer degradation.