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polymer

A polymer is a very large, chain-like molecule made up of monomers, which are small molecules. It can be naturally occurring or synthetic.

What's a mer, you might ask. Well, it means "part," and it works only as a suffix. Since poly- means "many," a polymer means "many parts." You'll find polymers everywhere: they're what make spandex stretch and sneakers bounce. They're the plastic drink bottles that you're always careful to recycle. Natural polymers include leather, rubber, and even the cellulose in your french fries and the protein in your chicken nuggets.

DEFINITIONS OF: polymer

n a naturally occurring or synthetic compound consisting of large molecules made up of a linked series of repeated simple monomers

Types:: show 34 types...; hide 34 types...; DNA, deoxyribonucleic acid, desoxyribonucleic acid
(biochemistry) a long linear polymer found in the nucleus of a cell and formed from nucleotides and shaped like a double helix; associated with the transmission of genetic information; RNA, ribonucleic acid
(biochemistry) a long linear polymer of nucleotides found in the nucleus but mainly in the cytoplasm of a cell where it is associated with microsomes; it transmits genetic information from DNA to the cytoplasm and controls certain chemical processes in the cell; synthetic resin
a resin having a polymeric structure; especially a resin in the raw state; used chiefly in plastics; copolymer
a polymer consisting of two or more different monomers; polyurethan, polyurethane
any of various polymers containing the urethane radical; a wide variety of synthetic forms are made and used as adhesives or plastics or paints or rubber; lignin
a complex polymer; the chief constituent of wood other than carbohydrates; binds to cellulose fibers to harden and strengthen cell walls of plants; polyamide, polymeric amide
a polymer containing repeated amide groups; silicone, silicone polymer
any of a large class of siloxanes that are unusually stable over a wide range of temperatures; used in lubricants and adhesives and coatings and synthetic rubber and electrical insulation; trimer
a polymer (or a molecule of a polymer) consisting of three identical monomers; operon
a segment of DNA containing adjacent genes including structural genes and an operator gene and a regulatory gene; acrylate resin, acrylic, acrylic resin
a glassy thermoplastic; can be cast and molded or used in coatings and adhesives; polyethylene, polythene
a lightweight thermoplastic; used especially in packaging and insulation; allyl resin
a resin derived from allyl alcohol that hardens when cured; used as an adhesive; bouncing putty
a soft elastic silicone polymer that increases in elasticity with the application of force; used in the center of golf balls and as shock-absorbent padding; cDNA, complementary DNA
single-stranded DNA that is complementary to messenger RNA or DNA that has been synthesized from messenger RNA by reverse transcriptase; episome
DNA that is not incorporated into the genome but is replicated together with the genome (especially in bacterial cells); coding DNA, exon
sequence of a gene's DNA that transcribes into protein structures; intron, noncoding DNA
sequence of a eukaryotic gene's DNA that is not translated into a protein; junk DNA
stretches of DNA that do not code for genes; recombinant DNA, recombinant deoxyribonucleic acid
genetically engineered DNA made by recombining fragments of DNA from different organisms; sticky end
an end of DNA in which one strand of the double helix extends a few units beyond the other; jumping gene, transposon
a segment of DNA that can become integrated at many different sites along a chromosome (especially a segment of bacterial DNA that can be translocated as a whole); informational RNA, mRNA, messenger RNA, template RNA
the template for protein synthesis; the form of RNA that carries information from DNA in the nucleus to the ribosome sites of protein synthesis in the cell; nRNA, nuclear RNA
ribonucleic acid found in the nucleolus of the cell; acceptor RNA, soluble RNA, tRNA, transfer RNA
RNA molecules present in the cell (in at least 20 varieties, each variety capable of combining with a specific amino acid) that attach the correct amino acid to the protein chain that is being synthesized at the ribosome of the cell (according to directions coded in the mRNA); urea-formaldehyde resin
a clear thermosetting resin made from urea and formaldehyde and used in electrical fittings, adhesives, and finishes; alkyd, alkyd resin
a durable synthetic resin widely used in adhesives and paints; phenolic, phenolic resin, phenoplast
a thermosetting resin; epoxy, epoxy glue, epoxy resin
a thermosetting resin; used chiefly in strong adhesives and coatings and laminates; polyfoam, polyurethane foam
a foam made by adding water to polyurethane plastics; melamine resin
a thermosetting resin formed from melamine and an aldehyde; used in molded products, adhesives, and coatings; nylon
a thermoplastic polyamide; a family of strong resilient synthetic fibers; polyester
any of numerous synthetic resins; they are light and strong and weather resistant; polyvinyl resin, vinyl polymer, vinyl resin
a thermoplastic derived by polymerization from compounds containing the vinyl group

Type of:: chemical compound, compound
(chemistry) a substance formed by chemical union of two or more elements or ingredients in definite proportion by weight

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