Related Concept Videos

Hydrolysis01:15

Hydrolysis

Overview
Hydrolysis is a chemical reaction in which the addition of water breaks down a polymer into its simpler monomer units. For example, peptides break into amino acids, carbohydrates into simple sugars, and DNA into nucleotides. Enzymes often facilitate these processes.
Hydrolysis Reverses Dehydration Synthesis
Complex carbohydrates can be broken down by breaking the bonds between individual sugar units. The reaction breaks a glycosidic bond as water is added to the compound. The...
Lysosomal Hydrolases01:22

Lysosomal Hydrolases

Lysosomes are the site for the degradation of macromolecules and biological polymers released during membrane trafficking events such as secretory, endocytic, autophagic, and phagocytic pathways. The membrane-enclosed area of the lysosome, called the lumen, contains hydrolytic enzymes active in an acidic environment. These acid hydrolases are functional at a pH between 4.5 and 5 and are involved in cellular processes such as cell signaling, energy metabolism, restoration of the plasma membrane,...
Glycolysis: Preparatory Phase01:21

Glycolysis: Preparatory Phase

In cellular metabolism (the complete breakdown of glucose to extract energy),  glycolysis is the first step. Glycolysis takes place in the cytoplasm of both prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells. Glucose enters heterotrophic cells in two ways. One method is through secondary active transport, where the transport takes place against the glucose concentration gradient. The other mechanism uses a group of integral proteins called GLUT proteins, also known as glucose transporter proteins. These...
Dehydration of Aldols to Enones: Acid-Catalyzed Aldol Condensation00:43

Dehydration of Aldols to Enones: Acid-Catalyzed Aldol Condensation

As shown in Figure 1, under acidic conditions, the β-hydroxy ketone undergoes dehydration via an E1 elimination reaction to form an enone.
Alkylation of β-Diester Enolates: Malonic Ester Synthesis01:14

Alkylation of β-Diester Enolates: Malonic Ester Synthesis

Malonic ester synthesis is a method to obtain α substituted carboxylic acids from ꞵ-diesters such as diethyl malonate and alkyl halides.
Loss of Carboxy Group as CO2: Decarboxylation of Malonic Acid Derivatives01:35

Loss of Carboxy Group as CO2: Decarboxylation of Malonic Acid Derivatives

Just like β-keto acids—which upon thermal decarboxylation form ketones—β-dicarboxylic acids undergo decarboxylation to generate monocarboxylic acids with the liberation of carbon dioxide.