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Chemistry Of Life
Describe the process of dehydration synthesis, including the role of water and the type of bond formed.
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During dehydration synthesis, a hydrogen ion is removed from one monomer and a hydroxyl group is removed from the other, resulting in the release of a water molecule. A covalent bond forms between the two monomers, linking them together. Repeating this process produces a polymer through polymerization.
Explain how hydrolysis breaks down a polymer into its component monomers?
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Hydrolysis breaks the covalent bond between monomers by adding water across the bond. The hydrogen ion from the water molecule attaches to one monomer, and the hydroxyl group attaches to the adjacent monomer, separating them and restoring each to its individual form.
Predict what would happen to a cell's ability to build macromolecules if dehydration synthesis were inhibited, and justify your prediction?
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The cell would be unable to form new polymers because dehydration synthesis is the reaction that creates the covalent bonds linking monomers together. Without this reaction, monomers would remain unlinked, and essential macromolecules such as proteins and polysaccharides could not be assembled, impairing growth and repair.