How do polymers break to form monomers

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A chemical reaction occurs when inserting a water molecule across the bond. Breaking a covalent bond with this water molecule in the compound achieves this Figure. These reactions are similar for most macromolecules, but each monomer and polymer reaction is specific for its class. For example, catalytic enzymes in the digestive system hydrolyze or break down the food we ingest into smaller molecules. This allows cells in our body to easily absorb nutrients in the intestine.

A specific enzyme breaks down each macromolecule. For instance, amylase, sucrase, lactase, or maltase break down carbohydrates. Enzymes called proteases, such as pepsin and peptidase, and hydrochloric acid break down proteins. Lipases break down lipids. These broken down macromolecules provide energy for cellular activities. View visual representations of Hydrolysis and Dehydration Synthesis Flash interactivity.

Proteins, carbohydrates, nucleic acids, and lipids are the four major classes of biological macromolecules—large molecules necessary for life that are built from smaller organic molecules.

Macromolecules are comprised of single units scientists call monomers that are joined by covalent bonds to form larger polymers. The polymer is more than the sum of its parts: it acquires new characteristics, and leads to an osmotic pressure that is much lower than that formed by its ingredients. This is an important advantage in maintaining cellular osmotic conditions. A monomer joins with another monomer with water molecule release, leading to a covalent bond forming. Scientists call these dehydration or condensation reactions.

When polymers break down into smaller units monomers , they use a water molecule for each bond broken by these reactions.

A collection of products made from polyethylene: plastic bags, a syringe, pipes, a plastic tree guard. Earlier in this tutorial we looked at the structure of a group of hydrocarbons called the alkenes.

One example is the molecule ethene. The structural formula of ethene is shown in the figure below. When lots of ethene molecules bond together, a polymer called polyethene commonly called polyethylene is formed.

Ethene is the unsaturated monomer which, when joined to other ethene molecules through an addition reaction, forms the saturated polymer polyethene. Polyethene is the most common plastic with over 80 million metric tons produced each year.

It is commonly known as polyethylene. It is cheap and is used to make squeeze bottles, plastic bags, films, toys and molded objects as well as electric insulation. It has a recycling number 4 which means that it is easy to process, has strength, toughness, flexibility, is easy to seal and has a barrier to moisture.

The polymerisation of an ethene monomer to form a polyethene polymer. The repeat unit is highlighted in blue. A polymer may be a chain of thousands of monomers, and so it is impossible to draw the entire polymer.

Rather, the structure of a polymer can be condensed and represented as shown in the figure below. The monomer is enclosed in brackets and the n represents the number of repeating units the saturated form of the monomer in the polymer, where n is any whole number. What this shows is that the monomer is repeated an indefinite number of times in a molecule of polyethene.

A collection of products made from polypropylene: a lamp cover, computer parts, and shopping trolleys. Another example of a polymer is polypropene see figure below. Polypropene commonly known as polypropylene is also a plastic, but is stronger than polyethene and is used to make crates, fibres and ropes as well as being used in textiles, stationery and car parts.

In this polymer, the monomer is the alkene called propene. A collection of products made from polyvinyl chloride: pipes, electrical tape, and car parts. Biological polymers are large molecules composed of many similar smaller molecules linked together in a chain-like fashion.

The individual smaller molecules are called monomers. When monomers are linked together to synthesize a biological polymer, they undergo a process called dehydration synthesis.

Amino acids are natural monomers that polymerize at ribosomes to form proteins. In its simplest definition, hydrolysis is a chemical reaction in which water is used to break down the bonds of a particular substance. Hydrolysis can also be thought of as the exact opposite reaction to condensation, which is the process whereby two molecules combine to form one larger molecule. Groups of Monomers and Polymers Proteins - polymers are known as polypeptides; monomers are amino acids.

Nucleic Acids - polymers are DNA and RNA; monomers are nucleotides, which are in turn consist of a nitrogenous base, pentose sugar, and phosphate group. They are a polymer made up of monomers called monosaccharides.

These building blocks are simple sugars , e. Two monosaccharides connected together makes a disaccharide. For example, in sucrose table sugar , a glucose and fructose link together. There are four basic kinds of biological macromolecules: carbohydrates , lipids , proteins , and nucleic acids. These polymers are composed of different monomers and serve different functions. Carbohydrates : molecules composed of sugar monomers.

They are necessary for energy storage. However lipids are not considered to be polymers , because lipids do not contain monomers and polymers are made up out of monomers.