What is a monomer vs a polymer?
All monomers have the capacity to form chemical bonds to at least two other monomer molecules. Polymers are a class of synthetic substances composed of multiples of simpler units called monomers. Polymers are chains with an unspecified number of monomeric units.
What are polymers explained for kids?
Polymers are very big molecules made up of many smaller molecules layered together in a repeating pattern. In fact, the word polymer is Greek for ‘many parts. ‘ The smaller molecules that come together to form polymers are called monomers–small units that link together over and over to form a large polymer.
Is a polymer a single molecule?
A linear polymer is made up of one molecule after another, hooked together in a long chain.
How do you determine if a molecule is a polymer?
In the context of this definition: A “polymer molecule” is a molecule that contains a sequence of at least 3 monomer units, which are covalently bound to at least one other monomer unit or other reactant.
How is monomer made?
Monomers are small molecules which may be joined together in a repeating fashion to form more complex molecules called polymers. Monomers form polymers by forming chemical bonds or binding supramolecularly through a process called polymerization.
What is a monomer in biochemistry?
Monomers are atoms or small molecules that bond together to form more complex structures such as polymers. There are four main types of monomer, including sugars, amino acids, fatty acids, and nucleotides.
What are polymers used for?
Uses of polymers Polymers are used in almost every area of modern living. Grocery bags, soda and water bottles, textile fibers, phones, computers, food packaging, auto parts, and toys all contain polymers. Even more-sophisticated technology uses polymers.
What are polymers dummies?
The term polymer is a composite of the Greek words poly and meros, meaning “many parts.” Polymers are large molecules made of small, repeating molecular building blocks called monomers. The process by which monomers link together to form a molecule of a relatively high molecular mass is known as polymerization.
What are polymers made from?
A polymer is made up of a number of joined-together monomers. One way of thinking about polymers is like a chain of connected-up paperclips. A polymer is a large molecule made up of smaller, joined-together molecules called monomers.
Is RNA a polymer?
RNA is a linear polymer of nucleotides linked by a ribose-phosphate backbone.