Hydrolytic enzymes breakdown large molecules by inserting water

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BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

The statement concerns hydrolytic enzymes and their mode of action. In many biochemical processes, hydrolytic enzymes catalyze hydrolysis reactions, which involve inserting a water molecule into a substrate to cleave bonds.

To illustrate, proteases hydrolyze peptide bonds in proteins by adding water, breaking them into smaller peptides or amino acids. Lipases perform hydrolysis of ester bonds in fats, yielding fatty acids and glycerol, with water participating in the reaction. Carbohydrases like amylases cleave glycosidic bonds in carbohydrates by incorporating water to form smaller sugar units.

This mechanism contrasts with dehydration (condensation) reactions, where water is released as bonds are formed rather than broken. Misconceptions to watch for include thinking hydrolysis removes water rather than uses it; in reality, water is consumed to split molecules.

Additionally, the term hydrolytic enzymes encompasses a broad family that targets different substrates (proteins, lipids, carbohydrates, nucleic acids) by hydrolyzing specific bonds, all relying on water as a reactant in the catalytic step.

Overall, recognizing that 'inserting water' corresponds to a hydrolysis reaction helps confirm why the statement is accurate for this class of enzymes, while keeping in mind the diversity of substrates they act upon and the general principle that water is consumed to break bonds rather than formed.

SMC 2025 Spr - BIOL 3 (1286,1288) - Fundamentals of Biology (G) Quiz15HBDit (Dig, Sk/Mu)

Hydrolytic enzymes breakdown large molecules by inserting water

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