polymer | Description, Examples, Types, Material, Uses, & Facts

polymer, any of a class of natural or synthetic substances composed of very large molecules, called macromolecules, that are multiples of simpler chemical ... polymer TableofContents polymer Introduction&TopQuestionsNaturalpolymers:organicandinorganicSyntheticpolymersPolymerchemistry FastFacts 2-MinSummary RelatedContent Media Videos Images More MoreArticlesOnThisTopic Contributors ArticleHistory Home Science Chemistry polymer chemistry Actions Cite verifiedCite Whileeveryefforthasbeenmadetofollowcitationstylerules,theremaybesomediscrepancies. Pleaserefertotheappropriatestylemanualorothersourcesifyouhaveanyquestions. SelectCitationStyle MLA APA ChicagoManualofStyle CopyCitation Share Share Sharetosocialmedia Facebook Twitter URL https://www.britannica.com/science/polymer GiveFeedback ExternalWebsites Feedback Corrections?Updates?Omissions?Letusknowifyouhavesuggestionstoimprovethisarticle(requireslogin). FeedbackType Selectatype(Required) FactualCorrection Spelling/GrammarCorrection LinkCorrection AdditionalInformation Other YourFeedback SubmitFeedback Thankyouforyourfeedback Oureditorswillreviewwhatyou’vesubmittedanddeterminewhethertorevisethearticle. JoinBritannica'sPublishingPartnerProgramandourcommunityofexpertstogainaglobalaudienceforyourwork! ExternalWebsites LiveScience-WhatIsaPolymer? BritannicaWebsites ArticlesfromBritannicaEncyclopediasforelementaryandhighschoolstudents. polymer-StudentEncyclopedia(Ages11andup) Print print Print Pleaseselectwhichsectionsyouwouldliketoprint: TableOfContents Cite verifiedCite Whileeveryefforthasbeenmadetofollowcitationstylerules,theremaybesomediscrepancies. Pleaserefertotheappropriatestylemanualorothersourcesifyouhaveanyquestions. SelectCitationStyle MLA APA ChicagoManualofStyle CopyCitation Share Share Sharetosocialmedia Facebook Twitter URL https://www.britannica.com/science/polymer Feedback ExternalWebsites Feedback Corrections?Updates?Omissions?Letusknowifyouhavesuggestionstoimprovethisarticle(requireslogin). FeedbackType Selectatype(Required) FactualCorrection Spelling/GrammarCorrection LinkCorrection AdditionalInformation Other YourFeedback SubmitFeedback Thankyouforyourfeedback Oureditorswillreviewwhatyou’vesubmittedanddeterminewhethertorevisethearticle. JoinBritannica'sPublishingPartnerProgramandourcommunityofexpertstogainaglobalaudienceforyourwork! ExternalWebsites LiveScience-WhatIsaPolymer? BritannicaWebsites ArticlesfromBritannicaEncyclopediasforelementaryandhighschoolstudents. polymer-StudentEncyclopedia(Ages11andup) By TheEditorsofEncyclopaediaBritannica • EditHistory TableofContents chemicalstructureofpolyvinylchloride(PVC) Seeallmedia KeyPeople: KarlZiegler J.FraserStoddart HermanFrancisMark CarlShippMarvel WernerKuhn ...(Showmore) RelatedTopics: protein nucleicacid rubber elastomer silicone ...(Showmore) Seeallrelatedcontent→ TopQuestionsWhatisapolymer?Apolymerisanyofaclassofnaturalorsyntheticsubstancescomposedofverylargemolecules,calledmacromolecules,whicharemultiplesofsimplerchemicalunitscalledmonomers.Polymersmakeupmanyofthematerialsinlivingorganismsandarethebasisofmanyminerals andman-madematerials.Whyareorganicpolymersimportant?Organicpolymersplayacrucialroleinlivingthings,providingbasicstructuralmaterialsandparticipatinginvitallifeprocesses.Forexample,thesolidpartsofallplantsarecomposedofpolymers.Theseincludecellulose,lignin,andvariousresins.Whataretheexamplesofnaturalpolymers?Naturalpolymersincludeproteins,whicharepolymersofaminoacids,andnucleicacids,whicharepolymersofnucleotides—complexmoleculescomposedofnitrogen-containingbases,sugars,andphosphoricacid.Starches,animportantsourceoffoodenergyderivedfromplants,arenaturalpolymerscomposedofglucose.Summary Readabriefsummaryofthistopic polymer,anyofaclassofnaturalorsyntheticsubstancescomposedofverylargemolecules,calledmacromolecules,thataremultiplesofsimplerchemicalunitscalledmonomers.Polymersmakeupmanyofthematerialsinlivingorganisms,including,forexample,proteins,cellulose,andnucleicacids.Moreover,theyconstitutethebasisofsuchmineralsasdiamond,quartz,andfeldsparandsuchman-madematerialsasconcrete,glass,paper,plastics,andrubbers.Thewordpolymerdesignatesanunspecifiednumberofmonomerunits.Whenthenumberofmonomersisverylarge,thecompoundissometimescalledahighpolymer.Polymersarenotrestrictedtomonomersofthesamechemicalcompositionormolecularweightandstructure.Somenaturalpolymersarecomposedofonekindofmonomer.Mostnaturalandsyntheticpolymers,however,aremadeupoftwoormoredifferenttypesofmonomers;suchpolymersareknownascopolymers. BritannicaQuiz Science:FactorFiction? Doyougetfiredupaboutphysics?Giddyaboutgeology?Sortoutsciencefactfromfictionwiththesequestions. Naturalpolymers:organicandinorganicnaturalrubber©StuartTaylor/FotoliaOrganicpolymersplayacrucialroleinlivingthings,providingbasicstructuralmaterialsandparticipatinginvitallifeprocesses.Forexample,thesolidpartsofallplantsaremadeupofpolymers.Theseincludecellulose,lignin,andvariousresins.Celluloseisapolysaccharide,apolymerthatiscomposedofsugarmolecules.Ligninconsistsofacomplicatedthree-dimensionalnetworkofpolymers.Woodresinsarepolymersofasimplehydrocarbon,isoprene.Anotherfamiliarisoprenepolymerisrubber.polynucleotidechainofdeoxyribonucleicacid(DNA)EncyclopædiaBritannica,Inc.Otherimportantnaturalpolymersincludetheproteins,whicharepolymersofaminoacids,andthenucleicacids,whicharepolymersofnucleotides—complexmoleculescomposedofnitrogen-containingbases,sugars,andphosphoricacid.Thenucleicacidscarrygeneticinformationinthecell.Starches,importantsourcesoffoodenergyderivedfromplants,arenaturalpolymerscomposedofglucose. GetaBritannicaPremiumsubscriptionandgainaccesstoexclusivecontent. SubscribeNow NewfromBritannica In2011acatnamedLarrywasofficiallynamedchiefmouserof10DowningStreet,inchargeofcatchingrodentsattheU.K.primeminister’sresidence.Larryhasnowoutlastedtwoprimeministers(andcounting). SeeAllGoodFacts Discoverhowresearchersaremanufacturingdiamondsforuseinresearch©AmericanChemicalSociety(ABritannicaPublishingPartner)SeeallvideosforthisarticleManyinorganicpolymersalsoarefoundinnature,includingdiamondandgraphite.Botharecomposedofcarbon.Indiamond,carbonatomsarelinkedinathree-dimensionalnetworkthatgivesthematerialitshardness.Ingraphite,usedasalubricantandinpencil“leads,”thecarbonatomslinkinplanesthatcanslideacrossoneanother.