Hydrolysis is the process of adding water to a polysaccharide molecule in order to break it down
into smaller units.
Monosaccharides
Remember, we can take simple sugars, or monosaccharides,
Monosaccharides
And join two of these together…
Monosaccharides
To form double sugars, or disaccharides….
Disaccharides
Dehydration
Synthesis
Monosaccharides
Disaccharides
This process of forming disaccharides from monosaccharides is dehydration synthesis
Dehydration
Synthesis
Monosaccharides
Disaccharides
Many disaccharide or monosaccharide units can also be joined together…
Dehydration
Synthesis
Monosaccharides
To form polysaccharides…
Disaccharides
Polysaccharide
Dehydration
Synthesis
Monosaccharides
Dehydration
Synthesis
Disaccharides
Also, by the process of dehydration synthesis.
Polysaccharide
Dehydration
Synthesis
Monosaccharides
Dehydration
Synthesis
Disaccharides
Now, we can also break down polysaccharides into disaccharides…
Polysaccharide
Dehydration
Synthesis
Monosaccharides
Dehydration
Synthesis
Polysaccharide
Disaccharides
Hydrolysis
And this is done using the process of hydrolysis, or adding water.
Dehydration
Synthesis
Monosaccharides
Dehydration
Synthesis
Polysaccharide
Disaccharides
Hydrolysis
Disaccharides and polysaccharides can also be broken down into monosaccharides…
Dehydration
Synthesis
Monosaccharides
Dehydration
Synthesis
Polysaccharide
Disaccharides
Hydrolysis
Using the process of hydrolysis.
Hydrolysis
Dehydration Synthesis is used to build larger molecules from smaller ones.
Monosaccharides
Disaccharides
Polysaccharide
To summarize, dehydration synthesis is used to build larger molecules from smaller ones…
Dehydration Synthesis is used to build larger molecules from smaller ones.
Monosaccharides
Disaccharides
Polysaccharide
Hydrolysis is used to break down larger molecules into smaller ones.
And hydrolysis is used to break down larger molecules into smaller ones.
Starch
Let’s take a molecule of the polysaccharide starch.
Starch
And we’ll focus on the first part of the chain consisting of four subunits.
With the appropriate enzyme present, we can add (click) a molecule of water….
Hydrolysis
And using the process of hydrolysis, the starch molecule breaks apart and water is added…
Maltose
Hydrolysis
The remainder
of the starch
molecule
And now a maltose molecule has broken off of the large starch molecule. This breakdown of starch into
maltose using hydrolysis, takes place in the mouth with the help of the enzyme salivary amylase.
A molecule
of Maltose
Maltose
Now we’ll consider this molecule of maltose.
Hydrolysis of Maltose
With the proper enzyme present, maltose can undergo (click) hydrolysis
Hydrolysis of Maltose
And as water is added, break up into…
Hydrolysis of Maltose
Glucose
Glucose
Two molecules of glucose. The breakdown of maltose to simple glucose molecules takes place in the
small intestine.
As well as breaking down starch, the process of
hydrolysis is also used to break glycogen down
into glucose when a quick source of energy is
needed for muscles.
As well as breaking down starch, the process of hydrolysis is also used to break glycogen
down into glucose when a quick source of energy is needed for muscles.
As well as breaking down starch, the process of
hydrolysis is also used to break glycogen down
into glucose when a quick source of energy is
needed for muscles.
Remember, our body does not possess the
enzymes necessary to break cellulose
down into glucose.
But remember, our body does not possess the enzymes necessary to break cellulose down into
glucose.
Acknowledgements for Images Used
"Alpha-D-Glucopyranose" by NEUROtiker Own work. Licensed under Public Domain via
Wikimedia Commons https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Alph
a-D-Glucopyranose.svg#/media/File:Alpha-DGlucopyranose.svg