During hydrolysis, what is typically produced from a polymer?

• A. Water
• B. Monomers
• C. Heat
• D. Light

Answer: (B)

During hydrolysis, the bonds in a polymer are broken by water, yielding smaller units called monomers. The water molecule provides a hydrogen to one fragment and a hydroxyl to the other, so the polymer splits into its monomer components. That makes monomers the typical products of hydrolysis. Water is used up in the reaction (as a reactant), not produced, and while reactions can release or absorb energy, heat or light are not defining products of hydrolysis. Examples include starch breaking down into glucose units or proteins breaking down into amino acids.