What process involves breaking down a compound by adding water to split covalent bonds?

The process that involves breaking down a compound by adding water to split covalent bonds is hydrolysis. In hydrolysis, water molecules are used to cleave chemical bonds, typically in larger molecules like polymers, turning them into smaller units such as monomers. This reaction is essential for various biological functions, including digestion, where complex carbohydrates, proteins, and lipids are hydrolyzed into simpler forms that can be absorbed and utilized by cells.

Hydrolysis is fundamentally different from dehydration synthesis, which constructs larger molecules by removing water, and other processes like fermentation and oxidation, which involve different biochemical pathways primarily related to energy production and transfer. The specificity of hydrolysis in breaking bonds through the addition of water is what makes it the correct choice in this context.