Bond cleavage, or scission, is the splitting of chemical bonds.
If the two electrons in a cleaved covalent bond are divided between the products, the process is known as homolytic fission or homolysis and free radicals are generated by homolytic cleavage. Alternatively, the case where both electrons are retained by one product and charged species that is nucleophile and electrophile are generated by the process is known as heterolytic fission and (heterolysis). The term "bond dissociation energy" refers to the energy required to cleave a bond (typically homolytically).
In biochemistry the process of breaking down large molecules (by splitting their internal bonds) is catabolism. Enzymes which catalyse bond cleavage are known as lyases, unless they operate by hydrolysis or oxidation/reduction, in which case they are known as hydrolases and oxidoreductases respectively.
Read more about Bond Cleavage: Heterolytic Cleavage
Famous quotes containing the words bond and/or cleavage:
“When the bond of love broke,
the respect born of affection withered,
good feelings fled,
and that man walked before me
like any other,
Good Friend,
I imagine all this,
think on days gone by
and wonder why
my heart hasn’t cracked
into a hundred bits.”
—Amaru (c. seventh century A.D.)
“Jesus abolished the very concept of “guilt”Mhe denied any cleavage between God and man. He lived this unity of God and man as his “glad tidings” ... and not as a prerogative!”
—Friedrich Nietzsche (1844–1900)