macromolecole

Macromolecules are large organic molecules characterized by high molecular weights and complex structures. They are typically built from many repeating or diverse monomer units linked by covalent bonds, producing polymers with molecular weights spanning tens of thousands to billions of daltons.

Macromolecules form through polymerization processes that link monomers into long chains or networks. Polymer architectures can be linear, branched, or crosslinked and may vary in branching degree and tacticity. The resulting materials exhibit a wide range of physical properties, including strength, elasticity, clarity, and resistance to solvents and heat.

In biology, macromolecules include proteins, nucleic acids, and polysaccharides. Proteins consist of amino acids and perform diverse cellular roles. Nucleic acids (DNA and RNA) encode and transmit genetic information. Polysaccharides such as starch, cellulose, and glycogen function in energy storage or structural support. Lipids are large biomolecules as well but are not polymers in the same sense and are often treated separately.

The higher-order structure of macromolecules strongly influences their function. Proteins fold into defined three-dimensional shapes, nucleic acids form intricate structures, and polysaccharides can be branched or linear. In materials science, synthetic macromolecules such as polyethylene, polystyrene, and polyesters are engineered for specific applications, with properties tuned by monomer selection, chain length, branching, and crosslinking.

Characterization of macromolecules uses techniques like gel permeation chromatography to assess molecular weight, along with spectroscopy and microscopy to study structure and composition. Understanding macromolecules is central to chemistry, biology, and materials science.