What is a polymer?
Something that is made by joining together monomers (identical molecules, small?)
What is a repeating unit?
the group of atoms that are repeated throuought the polymer and contain exactly the same group of atoms that are in the monomer.
What are the monomers in addition polymers?
AlkENEs
How do we name the polymers?
Poly(alkene)
How are addition polymers made?
- Joining together lots of unsaturated (have a double bond) monomers.
- Requires high pressures and a catalyst.
- the carbon double bond breaks allowing monomers to link together and form a long (saturated) hydrocarbon chain.
What do we use to make polyesters?
Usually two different monomers: dicarboxylic acid and a diol monomer.
What functional groups do dicarboxylic acid and diol monomers have?
Dicarboxylic acids- two carboxylic acid groups
Diols- two alcohol groups
What is a dimer?
Two monomers combined.
What is the general equation for polyester formation?
Dicarboxylic acid monomer + diol monomer —> condensation polymer (polyester, as there’s an ester link) + 2 H2O
Why is condensation polymerisation called that?
Because the process forms water molecules, like when gaseous water condenses.
What are the requirements for condensation polymerisation (what determines a polymerisation as condensation polymerisation)?
- each of the monomers needs to have AT LEAST 2 functional groups (e.g. dicarboxylic acid has two carboxyl groups).
- all the monomers need to have at least 2 different functional groups overall (e.g. carboxyl and alcohol group).
- small molecule (generally water) given of in the process.
What is FORMED when ethanedioic acid COMBINES with ethanediol?
Poly(ethyl ethanoate) and water
What does polyesters being generally biodegradable mean and why are they biodegrade-able?
- they can break naturally.
- bacteria + other microorganisms can break down naturally.
Are addition polymers biodegradable?
No. Examples include plastics which are generally not biodegrade-able and stay in the environment for a long period.
What does a polypeptide consist of?
Amino acids linked together in a chain.
What does a protein consist of?
When polypeptide folds up or combines with other polypeptides
Why do we have many different proteins?
Because there are (lots of different amino acids) which can (combine together in lots of different ways) to form lots of different proteins.
What do proteins do?
- provide strength and structure to bodily tissues.
- catalyse chemical reactions as enzymes.
Describe the structure of an amino acid.
- a carboxyl groups and an amino group (N bonded with two H s) joined together by a central carbon.
- an R group at the bottom of the central carbon which determines which type of amino acid it is .
What allows amino acids to join up together?
- the functional groups (amino and carboxyl) allow the adjacent amino acids to join via condensation reactions.
What are the monomers in DNA?
Nucleotides.
Nucleotides all contain a small molecule called a base. What are the 4 different types of bases?
T, A, G, C
(Tilly Ate Golden Coins)
Do the bases in nucleotides differ?
Yes, there are 4 different types of nucleotides for each of the bases which are the same.
How do cells make genes?
- genes are different codes.
- made by arranging the different nucleotides in different orders.
