Monomers and Polymers

Every living thing is composed of either monomers, polymers - or a mixture of both.

Monomers are the building blocks of life.

Monomers are small units. They join together to form larger molecules in a process called polymerisation.

Examples of monomers are:

• amino acids
• nucleotides
• monosaccharides

Polymers are complex molecules formed by joining monomers.

Polymers are composed of a large number of monomers joined together using covalent bonds.

Examples

Proteins are formed using condensation reactions to join amino acid monomers together.

Carbohydrates are formed using condensation reactions to join monosaccharides together.

Enzymes are formed of polypeptide chains.

Condensation and Hydrolysis Reactions

Condensation is the formation of larger, biological molecules (polymers) from smaller molecules (monomers). The byproduct of condensation reactions is water.

Smaller biological molecules, like sugar, can form larger molecules, like carbohydrates, that can be used around the body. It releases water and bonds the smaller components together into larger molecules.

Products of condensation