Monomers and Polymers

Key Questions

  • Monomers are smaller molecules, and when bonded together, make up polymers .

    -Fatty acids are the monomers for lipids , for example, and regardless of how they are bonded (as a saturated or unsaturated fat, for example), they will form lipids.

    -Nucleotides form nucleic acids (eg. DNA)

    -Monosaccharides form carbohydrates (eg. maltose, a disaccharide, is made up of two molecules of glucose, a monosaccharide).

    Below is a picture of the two glucose molecules, which are monomers, bonded together into maltose, a more complex carbohydrate.

    The Biochem Synapse
    -Amino acids make up proteins (so even though there are only 22 natural amino acids, there are countless types of protein that are formed with them)

    The macromolecules of life are lipids, nucleic acids, carbohydrates, and proteins.

  • Answer:

    Monomers: amino acids, monosaccharides
    Polymers: proteins, polysaccharides

    Explanation:

    Monomers are small molecules that can combine to form larger molecules called polymers.

    Amino acids make up proteins.

    Monosaccharides such as glucose make up polysaccharides like starches.

Questions