What is the difference between a dehydration synthesis reaction and a hydrolysis reaction?

Knowing the meaning of word-parts within each term will help in identifying their meanings.

The term "synthesis" means "to make". The prefix “de” means “the removal of”. Finally, “hydro” implies that "water" is present.

Using these word parts, we can infer that the term “dehydration synthesis” means making bonds by removing water in the process. Specifically, a dehydration synthesis is a chemical reaction in which a covalent bond is formed between two compounds by removing...

Knowing the meaning of word-parts within each term will help in identifying their meanings.

The term "synthesis" means "to make". The prefix “de” means “the removal of”. Finally, “hydro” implies that "water" is present.

Using these word parts, we can infer that the term “dehydration synthesis” means making bonds by removing water in the process. Specifically, a dehydration synthesis is a chemical reaction in which a covalent bond is formed between two compounds by removing the -OH from one of the compounds and the -H from the other compound. In this way, a new compound is formed as well as water. Since water is made in the process, the term “condensation reaction” is sometime used interchangeably with the term “dehydration synthesis”.

The formation of most biomolecules are produced via dehydration syntheses of their monomers. For example, a two monosaccharides form one disaccharide plus one water compound.

monosaccharide + monosaccharide  `->` water + disaccharide

A hydrolysis reaction is the opposite of a dehydration synthesis. During hydrolysis, bonds are broken by the addition of water. In this way, polymers are split into monomers. This often occurs during the process of digestion. The inverse of the chemical reaction provided above is an example of a dehydration synthesis.

water + disaccharide  `->` monosaccharide + monosaccharide