3.1 Monomers and Polymers

Question 1

What are monomers?

Answer 1

Monomers are the smaller units from which larger molecules are made.

Question 2

What are polymers?

Answer 2

Polymers are molecules made from a large number of monomers joined together.

Question 3

How are monomers joined?

Answer 3

By a chemical bond in a condensation reaction whereby a water molecule
is eliminated.

Question 4

How are polymers separated?

Answer 4

By hydrolysis whereby a water molecule is used to break a chemical bond.

Question 5

Give 3 examples of monomers

Answer 5

Monosaccharides such as glucose, amino acids and nucleotides.

Question 6

What are molecules made of?

Answer 6

Atoms

Question 7

Name 3 types of atomic bonding and describe them

Answer 7

Covalent- shared pair of electrons in outer shells
Ionic- electrostatic forces of attraction between oppositely charged ions
Hydrogen- weak electrostatic bond between polar molecules (N,F and O)

Question 8

What is the process of polymer formation called?

Answer 8

Polymerisation

Question 9

What are lipids hydrolysed to?

Answer 9

Fatty acids and glycerol

Question 10

What are amino acids polymerised to?

Answer 10

Polypeptides

Question 11

Describe metabolism

Answer 11

All the chemical processes that take place in a living organism

Question 12

Describe what a mole is?

Answer 12

1. The SI unit for measuring amount of substance

2. The number of particles in 12g of carbon-12 atoms

Question 13

What is Avogadro’s number?

Answer 13

6.022 x 10^23 which the number of carbon atoms in a mole

Question 14

What is meant by a molar solution?

Answer 14

A solution with one mole (g) of solute for each litre of solution.

Question 15

What are isotopes?

Answer 15

Atoms with the same number of protons (so chemical properties) but different number of neutrons (so mass and physical properties).