monomers and polymers

Question 1

What are monomers?

Answer 1

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

Question 2

Give examples of monomers:

Answer 2

Examples of monomers are:
- Amino acids
- Monosaccharides (e.g. glucose, fructose and galactose).
- Nucleotides

Question 3

What are polymers?

Answer 3

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

Question 4

Give examples of polymers:

Answer 4

Examples of polymers are:
- Proteins
- DNA/RNA
- Polysaccharides (starch, glycogen, cellulose and chitin)
- Enzymes

Question 5

How are enzymes polymers?

Answer 5

• Enzymes are polymers because they are made of polypeptide chains and enzymes are proteins.
  polypeptide chains is more than 2 amino acids join together.

Question 6

What name is given to complex molecules that are formed by combining monomers using covalent bonds?

Answer 6

• Polymers

Question 7

What is a condensation reaction?

Answer 7

• A condensation reaction is the reaction that allows the formation of larger biological molecules (polymers) from smaller molecules (monomers).

Question 8

What happens during a condensation reaction?

Answer 8

• During a condensation reaction, it removes water to form a bond with the monomers, as the removal of water allows the monomers to join together to make polymers.
  In a condensation reaction between monomers and polymers, the bond that is formed is a glycosidic bond.

Question 9

Give an example of a condensation reaction:

Answer 9

• An example of a condensation reaction is that smaller molecules (e.g. sugars) in an organism’s cells can form larger biological molecules (e.g. carbohydrates) that can be used around the body. As these biological molecules are important to allow the organisms to survive.

Question 10

Give examples of the products in a condensation reaction:

Answer 10

• The condensation of amino acids form proteins.
• The condensation of two monosaccharides form disaccharides.
  Many disaccharides form polysaccharides.
• The condensation of fatty acids and monoglycerides form lipids.

Question 11

What is a hydrolysis reaction?

Answer 11

• A hydrolysis reaction is the breakdown of larger biological molecules (polymers) into smaller molecules (monomers).
  So that these smaller cells can be taken up around the body to perform functions.

Question 12

What happens during a hydrolysis reaction?

Answer 12

• During a hydrolysis reaction it breaks a chemical bond between the two larger biological molecules (polymers) into smaller molecules (monomers) with the addition of water.
  So that these smaller molecules can be easily transported into the cells or be transported through the channel proteins.

Question 13

What does the hydrolysis reaction help with and why?

Answer 13

• The hydrolysis reaction helps with allowing the larger biological molecules to break down into smaller molecules. This is because, for example;
• An organism eats and it ingests large, biological molecules (e.g. carbohydrates) from the food , these carbohydrates are important because it allows the organism to survive. As these biological molecules could be used in the cells for important reactions (e.g. respiration) but they are too large to be transported into the cells, so that the large molecules needs to be broken down into smaller molecules to be transported into the cells. This is where hydrolysis comes in.

Question 14

Give examples of the products made from a hydrolysis reaction:

Answer 14

• Hydrolysis of proteins produces amino acids.
• Hydrolysis of carbohydrate produces monosaccharides and disaccharides.
  Disaccharides are two monosaccharides joined together.
• Hydrolysis of lipids produce fatty acids and monoglycerides.

Question 15

What two things happens to products of hydrolysis?

Answer 15

The products of hydrolysis is absorbed by the cells by simple diffusion or they can be transported through channel proteins.