promoner

A monomer is a molecule that can be bonded to other monomer molecules to form a polymer. Monomers are the small repeating units that make up a polymer chain. Think of them as the individual beads that are strung together to create a necklace. The process of joining monomers together to form a polymer is called polymerization.

There are many different types of monomers, and their chemical structure determines the type of polymer they will form. For example, monomers with double bonds are often involved in addition polymerization, where the double bond breaks and allows the monomers to link together. Monomers with functional groups that can react with each other, such as carboxylic acids and alcohols, are involved in condensation polymerization, where a small molecule like water is released during the linking process.

Common examples of monomers include ethylene, which polymerizes to form polyethylene (a plastic used in bags and films), and glucose, which can polymerize to form starch and cellulose (complex carbohydrates found in plants). Amino acids are monomers that link together to form proteins, and nucleotides are monomers that form nucleic acids like DNA and RNA. The properties of the resulting polymer are directly influenced by the structure of its constituent monomers and how they are arranged. Understanding monomers is fundamental to the study of materials science, organic chemistry, and biochemistry.