Monomers and Polymers

• • Most carbohydrates, proteins and nucleic acids are polymers
  • Polymers are large, complex molecules composed of long chains of monomers joined together
  • Monomers are small, basic molecular units that can form a polymer
  • Examples of monomers include monosaccharides, amino acids and nucleotides
• Most biological polymers are formed from their monomers by condensation reactions. A condensation reaction forms a chemical bond between monomers, releasing a molecule of water
• Biological polymers can be broken down into monomers by hydrolysis reactions. A hydrolysis reaction breaks the chemical bond between monomers using a water molecule.