hydrolys

Hydrolys is not a standard term in modern chemistry. In English, the process is properly called hydrolysis, and the verb form is hydrolyze or hydrolyse. The word hydrolys may appear as a nonstandard spelling, a truncation in some texts, or a plural form in certain languages. Because of this, most authoritative discussions use hydrolysis as the proper term.

Hydrolysis is a chemical reaction in which a molecule is cleaved into two parts by reaction with water. In many cases, water contributes a hydrogen to one fragment and a hydroxyl group to the other, but the exact mechanism depends on the substrate and conditions. Reactions can be catalyzed by acids, bases, or enzymes known as hydrolases.

Hydrolysis is central to biology and biochemistry. It enables digestion, where dietary polymers are broken into absorbable units, and it participates in numerous metabolic pathways. Examples include the hydrolysis of starch to glucose by amylases, the hydrolysis of sucrose into glucose and fructose, peptide bond hydrolysis by proteases yielding amino acids, and nucleic acid hydrolysis by nucleases producing nucleotides. In organic chemistry, ester hydrolysis yields carboxylic acids and alcohols; amide, anhydride, and phosphate ester hydrolyses are also common.

Conditions vary widely. Acid-catalyzed hydrolysis uses mineral acids, base-catalyzed hydrolysis can involve saponification, and enzymatic hydrolysis occurs under physiological conditions with specific enzymes. Reaction rates depend on substrate structure, catalysts, pH, temperature, and water availability.

Etymology traces to Greek hydro meaning water and lysis meaning loosening or splitting. While hydrolysis remains the standard term, hydrolys may appear in some historical or linguistic contexts, but it is not the preferred form in contemporary chemistry.