C16 Polymers Flashcards
What are monomers?
Small molecules that join together to form a long chain
What is a polymer?
A very long molecule made of repeating units
What is a repeating unit?
The smallest part of a polymer that repeats itself throughout the chain
What is polymerisation?
A reaction that turns multiple monomers into polymers
What are the two types of polymerisation?
Addition and condensation
What kinds of monomers are involved in addition polymerisation?
Molecules with C=C bonds
(such as alkenes)
What kind of monomers are involved in condensation polymerisation?
Water
What is a natural polymer?
A polymer that is produced naturally by organisms
Give 4 examples of natural polymers
Polypeptides
Starch
Cellulose
DNA
What are amino acids?
The building blocks for polypeptides and proteins- which have an amine and a carboxylic acid group
What is a polypeptide?
A polymer made from many amino acids
What is a protein?
A polymer made from amino acids
Which monomer makes up starch and cellulose?
Glucose
What is DNA?
A molecule containing genetic information
Which monomers are DNA made of?
nucleotides
