Hydrolysis of sucrose is called

Options

A. inversion
B. esterification
C. hydration
D. saponification

Explanation

To solve the question "Hydrolysis of sucrose is called," we can follow these steps:

### Step-by-Step Solution:

1. **Understanding Hydrolysis**: Hydrolysis is a chemical reaction in which water is used to break down a compound. In the case of sucrose, hydrolysis involves the addition of water to break the glycosidic bond between glucose and fructose.

2. **Identifying the Reaction**: When sucrose (a disaccharide) undergoes hydrolysis, it is converted into two monosaccharides: alpha-D-glucose and beta-D-fructose.

3. **Observing Optical Activity**: Sucrose is known to be dextrorotatory, meaning it rotates plane-polarized light to the right. However, upon hydrolysis, the resulting mixture of glucose and fructose exhibits a different optical activity.

4. **Defining Inversion**: The hydrolysis of sucrose results in a change in the direction of light rotation from right (dextrorotatory) to left (levorotatory). This phenomenon is referred to as "inversion," leading to the formation of what is known as "invert sugar."

5. **Conclusion**: Therefore, the hydrolysis of sucrose is specifically called "inversion" because it results in the production of invert sugar.

### Final Answer:
The hydrolysis of sucrose is called **inversion**.

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