Explain how both nucleic acids and proteins are polymers.Be sure to describe the monomers that make up the polymers.

Both proteins and nucleic acids are made up on individual monomer units. Nucleic Acids consist of the four individual nucleotides (Adenine, Guanine, Cytosine and Thymine) which together form the nucleic acid polymer. Proteins consist of an array of single monomer units the amino acids (Alanine, Arginine, Glycine, etc) which together form the protein polymer.

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Both nucleic acids and proteins are polymers, which means they are both formed by linking smaller units, called monomers, together in a repetitive fashion.

Nucleic acids, such as DNA and RNA, are composed of nucleotides as their monomers. Each nucleotide is made up of three components: a phosphate group, a five-carbon sugar (either deoxyribose in DNA or ribose in RNA), and a nitrogenous base. There are four different nitrogenous bases: adenine (A), guanine (G), cytosine (C), and thymine (T) in DNA and uracil (U) in RNA. The phosphate group and the sugar form a backbone, while the nitrogenous base extends out from the sugar. When nucleotides join together, the phosphate group of one nucleotide binds to the sugar of the next nucleotide, forming a sugar-phosphate backbone with the nitrogenous bases projecting inward. This linkage forms a long chain, resulting in the formation of a nucleic acid polymer.

Proteins, on the other hand, are composed of amino acids as their monomers. There are 20 different amino acids that can contribute to protein synthesis. Each amino acid consists of an amino group (-NH2), a carboxyl group (-COOH), and a side chain that is different for each amino acid, known as the R-group. The side chain determines the unique properties and structure of each amino acid. Amino acids link together through a process called condensation, where the carboxyl group of one amino acid reacts with the amino group of another amino acid, forming a peptide bond. This bond joins the two amino acids together, and when amino acids continue to link in this way, a protein polymer is formed.

In summary, nucleic acids are polymers of nucleotides, composed of a phosphate group, a sugar, and a nitrogenous base, while proteins are polymers of amino acids, composed of an amino group, a carboxyl group, and a unique R-group.