Polymer

Definition

A large molecule made from many smaller repeating units joined together.

Used by AQA, Edexcel and OCR

Specification 4.6.1.4, 4.6.1.5 · Paper 2

A large molecule made by joining many smaller units together.
DNA is a polymer: a very long molecule built from smaller units joined together. Each DNA molecule has two strands twisted around one another, forming a double helix. Picture a twisted ladder to remember its overall shape; the detailed structure of its units belongs to the next lesson.
Revise: DNA and Genome
A large molecule made from repeating smaller units.
Revise: DNA Structure and the Genetic Code

1
When describing DNA’s structure, include all three points: it is a polymer, it has two strands, and the strands form a double helix.
2
Distinguish carefully between a nucleotide, which is one subunit, and DNA, which is a polymer containing many nucleotides.
3
For ‘describe DNA as a polymer’, state that DNA is a large molecule made from many smaller repeating units joined together.

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Specification 3.4 · Paper 1

A large molecule formed from many repeating subunits joined in a chain.
DNA is a polymer, meaning that it is a long molecule assembled from many smaller repeating subunits. The subunits of DNA are called nucleotides.
Revise: DNA Structure

Specification B1.2a, B1.3d, B1.3e · Paper 1 (Foundation), Paper 3 (Higher)

A large molecule made by joining many smaller repeating units together.
A polymer is a large molecule formed when many smaller units are joined together. These smaller units are called monomers. A useful representation is a long chain: each link represents a monomer, while the complete linked chain represents the polymer.
Revise: DNA as a polymer
A large molecule made from many repeating monomer units joined together.
Revise: Role of sugars
A large molecule made from many monomers joined together in a chain.
Revise: Role of amino acids

Paper 1 (Foundation), Paper 2 (Foundation), Paper 3 (Higher), Paper 4 (Higher)

A long molecule formed by joining many smaller units called monomers.
A small unit used to build a polymer is called a monomer, so nucleotides are the monomers of DNA.
Revise: DNA Structure
Revise: Nucleotides
A large molecule made from many repeating smaller units joined together.
Revise: Biological Molecules