polymer

(noun)

A long or larger molecule consisting of a chain or network of many repeating units, formed by chemically bonding together many identical or similar small molecules called monomers. A polymer is formed by polymerization, the joining of many monomer molecules.

Related Terms

Examples of polymer in the following topics:

  • Peptidoglycan Synthesis and Cell Division

    • Peptidoglycan, also known as murein, is a polymer and consists of sugars and amino acids which form the cell walls of bacteria.
    • Peptidoglycan, also known as murein, is a polymer consisting of sugars and amino acids that forms a mesh-like layer outside the plasma membrane of bacteria (but not Archaea; []), forming the cell wall.

  • Gram-Positive Cell Envelope

    • Teichoic acids are linear polymers of polyglycerol or polyribitol substituted with phosphates and a few amino acids and sugars.
    • The teichoic acid polymers are occasionally anchored to the plasma membrane (called lipoteichoic acid, LTA), and apparently directed outward at right angles to the layers of peptidoglycan.

  • The Cell Wall of Bacteria

    • Peptidoglycan is a huge polymer of disaccharides (glycan) cross-linked by short chains of identical amino acids (peptides) monomers.

  • Damage to the Cell Wall

    • In both gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria, the scaffold of the cell wall consists of a cross-linked polymer peptidoglycan.

  • Elements of Life

  • Diverse Cell Forms of Methanogens

    • The cell walls of of Methanogens, like other Archaea, lack peptidoglycan, a polymer found in the cell walls of the bacteria.

  • Bacterial Polyesters

    • The mechanical qualities and biocompatibility of PHA can also be changed by blending, modifying the surface or combining PHA with other polymers, enzymes and inorganic materials, making it possible for a wider range of applications.
    • Some of the fixation and orthopaedic applications that have been devised for these polymers include:

  • Amino Acid Synthesis

    • They join together to form short polymer chains called peptides or longer chains called either polypeptides or proteins.
    • These polymers are linear and unbranched, with each amino acid within the chain attached to two neighboring amino acids.

  • Clostridial and Propionic Acid Fermentation

    • Hydrolysis is a chemical reaction wherein particulates are solubilized and large polymers are converted into simpler monomers.

  • Complex and Synthetic Media

    • Chemically defined media differ from serum-free media in that bovine serum albumin or human serum albumin with either a chemically defined recombinant version (which lacks the albumin associated lipids) or synthetic chemical such as the polymer polyvinyl alcohol which can reproduce some of the functions of serums.