what is a monomer
what is a polymer
what is the structure of a protein
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Main Entry: mono·mer
Pronunciation: 'mä-n&-m&r
Function: noun
Etymology: International Scientific Vocabulary
Date: 1914
: a chemical compound that can undergo polymerization
- mo·no·mer·ic /"mä-n&-'mer-ik, "mO-/ adjective
Main Entry: poly·mer
Pronunciation: 'pä-l&-m&r
Function: noun
Etymology: International Scientific Vocabulary, back-formation from polymeric, from Greek polymerEs having many parts, from poly- + meros part —more at MERIT
Date: 1866
: a chemical compound or mixture of compounds formed by polymerization and consisting essentially of repeating structural units
- poly·mer·ic /"pä-l&-'mer-ik/ adjective
- poly·mer·ism /p&-'li-m&-"ri-z&m, 'pä-l&-m&-/ noun
Sra
Thank you. I looked it up in a dictionary, but I do not understand the terminology. Can you please explain it in a simpler language? Thank you.
Oh dear, oh dear! Science is definitely not my field, but I will try to explain!
monome = a small molecule (of low molecular weight) that can react or bond with other molecules to form a very large molecule, called polymer
Some examples are hydrocarbon, acrylic, amino acids.
polymer = a large molecule
Sra
Thank you!
A monomer is a small molecule that can chemically bond with other monomers to form a larger and more complex molecule called a polymer. In other words, monomers are the building blocks of polymers.
A polymer, on the other hand, is a large molecule made up of repeating structural units, which are connected through chemical bonds. These repeating units (monomers) join together in a process called polymerization.
Now, let's understand the structure of a protein. A protein is a complex macromolecule composed of long chains of amino acids. Amino acids serve as the monomers for protein synthesis. The structure of a protein can be described at different levels: primary, secondary, tertiary, and quaternary.
1. Primary Structure: This refers to the linear sequence of amino acids in a protein chain. The specific order of amino acids is determined by the genetic code present in the DNA.
2. Secondary Structure: The protein chain can fold into regular, repeating patterns due to certain interactions between nearby amino acids. The most common secondary structures are alpha-helix and beta-sheet. These structures are stabilized by hydrogen bonds between amino acids.
3. Tertiary Structure: This level of protein structure involves the overall three-dimensional arrangement of the protein. It is influenced by various forces such as hydrogen bonding, hydrophobic interactions, disulfide bonds, and electrostatic interactions. The tertiary structure determines the protein's specific shape and function.
4. Quaternary Structure: Some proteins consist of multiple polypeptide chains (subunits) that are assembled together to form a functional protein. The arrangement and interactions between these subunits collectively form the quaternary structure.
Determining the precise structure of a protein is crucial for understanding its function since the structure directly influences its properties and interactions with other molecules. Experimental techniques like X-ray crystallography, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), and cryo-electron microscopy are commonly used to determine protein structures.