Hydrolysis and Dehydration Synthesis Hydrolysis reactions are chemical reactions that break down a larger molecule into

small subunits, in order to digest the larger molecule. The name hydrolysis comes from the Greek words meaning water and break. When hydrolysis occurs when a covalent bond is broken between the glucose subunits in the polysaccharides chain at the same time the breaking of a water molecule. When a person eats plant starch the molecule is broken down with in the intestine so that the body can absorb the separate glucose molecules with in the polysaccharide chain. In the picture below the polysaccharide is hydrolyzed to form the maltose in part (a) and then in part (b) the it is hydrolyzed into glucose to be used for cell energy. When the covalent bonds breaks between the subunits a molecule of water is split. This creates an additon of a hydrogen atom and a hydroxyl group to the end of the subunits that are released after hydrolysis takes place.

The hydrolysis of starch The plant starch is now glucose molecules that can be absorbed by the intestines. The blood that runs through the intestines picks up the glucose molecules and allows them to travel to skeletal muscles and the liver. Now the tissue cells of the skeletal muscles and the liver take the glucose out of the blood. Theses cells either use it for energy or they can store the glucose. In order to store glucose it needs to be in the form of glycogen. To make glycogen out of the glucose molecules the cells will have to bind the glucose molecules together. The processes that is done to create the glycogen is dehydration synthesis. Dehydration synthesis is a chemical reaction that will form water when it builds a larger molecule out of smaller subunits. When the cells are creating the new glycogen it requires the hydrogen atom to be removed from one of the glucose molecules and a hydroxyl removed from another. Next a bond is formed between one of the carbon atoms form one glucose molecule to a oxygen atom of a different glucose molecule. A bond between the hydroxyl and the hydrogen atom is also formed. The result is two disaccharides and water. Below is a picture of the dehydration synthesis of disaccharides.

Hydrolysis and dehydration synthesis reactions use specific enzymes. This makes the reaction to be carefully regulated and creates a outcome that is similar each time. Every time the body is hungry and carbohydrates are taken in the same process is used. So it uses the breakdown reactions and the building reactions for energy usage and storage. Lipids, proteins also use hydrolysis and dehydration synthesis. Theses reactions work as a cycle also, not just when the body is digesting. Lets say a person goes on a strict diet or fasts, and that causes the blood glucose concentration to fall. The fall will be detected with an active negative feedback loops which Tayler describes next. In result to the fall the body will try to maintains homeostasis and the glycogen that the liver is storing will then be hydrolyzed to from free glucose molecules. The blood takes in the glucose molecules and brings them to the skeletal muscles so it can be used as energy. The adipose tissue that is also stored by dehydration synthesis reactions will need to be hydrolyzed and release subunits into the blood.