1.1 Monomers and Polymers

• Monomers can be joined together in a condensation reaction.
• Polymers can be broken down into their monomers in a hydrolysis reaction.
• Condensation involves removing a molecule of water.
• Hydrolysis involves adding a molecule of water.
• Many monomers joined in a similar way combine to produce a polymer.
• The monomer in a carbohydrate is a monosaccharide.
• The polymer of a carbohydrate is a polysaccharide.
• The bond in carbohydrates are glycosidic bonds.
• An example of a carbohydrate is starch.
• The monomer in proteins are amino acids.
• The polymers of proteins are polypeptides.
• The bonds in proteins are peptide bonds.
• An example of a protein is haemoglobin.
• The monomer of a nucleic acid is a nucleotide.
• The bonds in nucleic acids are phosphodiester bonds.
• An example of a nucleic acid is DNA.