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Biochemistry help… Be able to explain the difference between monomers and polymers?

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Question by Ham Supreme: Biochemistry help… Be able to explain the difference between monomers and polymers?
I have a biochemistry exam coming up, and this review question stumps me.
I’m looking for a simple, thorough answer?

The full question is this…

Be able to explain the difference between monomers and polymers. Explain Dehydration Synthesis and Hydrolysis, and relate to catabolic and anabolic reactions.

Identify various functional groups found in organic chemistry?!

I don’t even know what a monomer is, nor a catabolic reaction.
Help. Anyone. Please.

Best answer:

Answer by winriichan
A polymer is a long molecule that is made up of many similar or identical building blocks linked by covalent bonds.

The repeating building blocks of a polymer are the monomers. Monomers are connected by the condensation reaction, also known as dehydration synthesis.

Polymers get broken down to monomers via hydrolysis, which is the reverse of dehydration synthesis (where two molecules are covalently bonded by losing a water molecule). Hydro = water, lysis = to break.

In chemistry, a catabolic reaction is the chemical reaction in which complex organic molecules get broken down into simpler substances. An anabolic reaction, on the other hand, is where simple substances combine to form complex molecules. The process of polymers breaking down into monomers is a catabolic reaction because it is breaking down a complex molecule (polymer) into a simple substance (monomer).

Remember: mono = 1, mer (from the Greek meris) = part. Poly = many, mer = part.

To find the various functional groups found in O-Chem, there are many images on Google showing them.

Know better? Leave your own answer in the comments!


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