Polymers are also called macromolecules, being very large organic molecules composed of an extremely high number of repeating smaller units called monomers. Their applications are widespread, and ...
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.
Polymers range from familiar synthetic plastics such as polystyrene to natural biopolymers such as DNA and proteins that are fundamental to biological structure and function. Polymers, both natural and synthetic, are created via polymerization of many small molecules, known as monomers.
Polymers are a wide group of naturally created and synthetic substances constructed from large macromolecules. These macromolecules are generally repeating chains of smaller molecules or monomers.
Polymers are either natural or synthetic macromolecules composed of many repeating units (monomers) usually arranged in the form of a chain. Examples of polymers are silk, rubber, silicone, DNA...
As natural polymers, i.e., DNA and RNA, is the reason for life on earth, without DNA we can't imagine life on earth. From well-known synthetic plastics like polystyrene to natural biopolymers like DNA and proteins that are essential to biological structure and function, polymers come in many shapes and sizes.
Based on this classification, there are two main types of polymers: natural and synthetic polymers.
Polymers are chains of molecules that come in both natural forms like rubber and synthetic forms like plastic. Different properties of polymers, like elasticity or reflectivity, make them useful for many everyday products.