hydrolysis

Chemical reaction in which the action of water or its ions breaks down a substance into smaller molecules. Hydrolysis occurs in certain inorganic salts in solution, in nearly all non-metallic chlorides, in esters, and in other organic substances. It is one of the mechanisms for the breakdown of food by the body, as in the conversion of starch to glucose.

hydrolysis

In earth science, a form of chemical weathering caused by the chemical alteration of certain minerals as they react with water. For example, the mineral feldspar in granite reacts with water to form a white clay called china clay.