polymer
Meaning of polymer: A polymer is a large molecule built from many repeating units, a structural pattern shared by plastics, DNA, and proteins.
Definition of polymer
A polymer is a large molecule made up of many smaller, repeating units called monomers, which are joined together in a chain through chemical bonds. The specific monomer used and the way the units are arranged determine the polymer's physical properties, such as its flexibility, strength, and how it responds to heat.
Polymers occur naturally in the body and are also manufactured for industrial use. Biological polymers include DNA and RNA, built from repeating nucleotide units, and proteins, built from repeating amino acid units, each folding into specific structures that carry out particular functions within cells.
Synthetic polymers, including plastics and certain materials used in medical devices, are engineered by chemists to have specific properties for a given use, and some are designed to be biodegradable or biocompatible for use within the body, such as in sutures or implanted devices.
Used in a sentence
The material used in the implant was a synthetic polymer chosen for its biocompatibility.
Good to know
DNA, RNA, and proteins are all polymers built from different repeating units, so identifying a molecule as a polymer does not by itself indicate which of these biological categories it belongs to.
Word origin
Where “polymer” comes from
Formed from Greek poly-, meaning many, and meros, meaning part.