In hydrolysis, what does water help form from an organic compound?

In hydrolysis, water interacts with an organic compound to break it down into smaller molecular units. This process typically involves the addition of water to a compound, resulting in the cleavage of covalent bonds. For many organic compounds, especially those containing functional groups like esters, amides, or carbohydrates, this reaction leads to the formation of at least two distinct products.

For instance, when an ester undergoes hydrolysis, it can be split into a carboxylic acid and an alcohol. Similarly, in the hydrolysis of a disaccharide, water will split it into two monosaccharides. Thus, the characteristic feature of hydrolysis is the involvement of water in facilitating the breakdown of a single organic molecule into two separate products, supporting the choice of two new products as the outcome of the reaction.