In the context of polymer chemistry, when comparing thermal and photopolymerization processes, which of the following statements accurately describes the role of initiators in both mechanisms while considering the byproducts generated during condensation polymerization?

Initiators in both thermal and photopolymerization create reactive radicals that start the polymer chain; a thermal initiator breaks apart when heated, while a photoinitiator absorbs light and splits into radicals. These radicals then add to monomer units, propagating the chain in either case. The small molecules that appear as byproducts in condensation polymerization—such as water or alcohol—are formed when the monomers react with each other, not by the initiators. Thus, initiators only start the chain; they do not directly produce the condensation byproducts.