American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP) Histotechnologist Practice Test

What type of chemical reaction do hydrolases typically facilitate?

1. Dehydration reactions

2. Hydrolysis reactions

3. Redox reactions

4. Complex formation reactions

The correct answer is: Hydrolysis reactions

Hydrolases are a specific class of enzymes that catalyze hydrolysis reactions, which involve the breakdown of complex molecules into simpler ones through the addition of water. In these reactions, a bond within a substrate is broken, and water is used to facilitate this process, effectively helping to split the molecule into two or more product molecules. This is crucial in various biological processes, including digestion and metabolism. Dehydration reactions, in contrast, involve the removal of water to form new bonds and are the opposite of the actions of hydrolases. Redox reactions pertain to the transfer of electrons between molecules and do not involve hydrolysis. Similarly, complex formation reactions involve the joining of different molecules without the cleavage of them by water. Therefore, the specificity of hydrolases to hydrolysis reactions makes the second choice the accurate answer.