polymer, any of a class of natural or synthetic substances composed of very large molecules, called macromolecules, that are multiples of simpler chemical units called monomers. Polymers make up many of the materials in living organisms, including, for example, proteins, cellulose, and nucleic acids.

What is polymer short answer?

Polymers are materials made of long, repeating chains of molecules. The materials have unique properties, depending on the type of molecules being bonded and how they are bonded. Some polymers bend and stretch, like rubber and polyester. The term polymer is often used to describe plastics, which are synthetic polymers.

What is a polymer and example?

Polymers are large molecules made up of long chains or networks of smaller molecules called monomers. Natural polymers include silk, hair, proteins and DNA, while synthetic (man-made) polymers include polyethylene, polypropylene and polyester.

What is monomers and polymers in biology?

Monomers are the smaller units from which larger molecules are made. Polymers are molecules made from a large number of monomers joined together. Monosaccharides, amino acids and nucleotides are examples of monomers.

What is a polymer in biology A level?

Polymers are long chains that are composed of many individual monomers that have been bonded together in a repeating pattern. ​Condensation Reactions occurs when two molecules combine to form a more complex molecule with the removal of water.

What is a monomer in biology?

monomer, a molecule of any of a class of compounds, mostly organic, that can react with other molecules to form very large molecules, or polymers. The essential feature of a monomer is polyfunctionality, the capacity to form chemical bonds to at least two other monomer molecules.

What does monomer mean?

monomer. / (ˈmɒnəmə) / noun. chem a compound whose molecules can join together to form a polymer.

How do you explain polymers to a child?

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.

What are polymers give two examples?

Examples of synthetic polymers include nylon, polyethylene, polyester, Teflon, and epoxy. Natural polymers occur in nature and can be extracted. They are often water-based. Examples of naturally occurring polymers are silk, wool, DNA, cellulose and proteins.

Is polymer A plastic?

Plastics are a group of materials, either synthetic or naturally occurring, that may be shaped when soft and then hardened to retain the given shape. Plastics are polymers. A polymer is a substance made of many repeating units.

What are polymers kids definition?

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.

How are polymers formed in biology?

Biological polymers are large molecules composed of many similar smaller molecules linked together in a chain-like fashion. When small organic molecules are joined together, they can form giant molecules or polymers.

What is a monomer example?

Examples of the monomers are glucose, vinyl chloride, amino acids, and ethylene. For example, in glucose, glycosidic bonds that bind sugar monomers to form polymers such as glycogen, starch, and cellulose.

Are polymers made by biological processes?

Natural polymers are made within the living organisms. These include; Polysaccharide.