Macromolecules By Staudinger

Polymers a large molecules made up of a chain of smaller molecules, known as monomers. The monomers that a polymer is made up of decide its structure and therefore it's function. These monomers are linked and coiled in a very specific manor giving the polymer a specific tertiary structure (an extensively coiled and linked polymer chain caused as a result of the formation of more bonds forming). This tertiary structure is crucial to the function of a polymer as it denotes the necessary shape of the complementary molecule. This is easier explained through an example.

The most common macromolecules found in living organisms are lipids, carbohydrates, proteins and nucleic acids. Briefly, the meaning of macromolecules is that they normally contain two or more molecules in them and their main functions are to store energy, information and much more. Most foods are known to be combinations of macromolecules. While some of these compounds can be detected by taste tests, many cannot. Scientists then use certain tests to determine the presence of macromolecules.

To keep it as simple as possible, (K.I.S.S.) this topic involves the study of: 1. POLYMERS FROM PETROCHEMICALS & BIOMASS

During the 1920s, Nobel laureate Hermann Staudinger laid the groundwork for our modern understanding of polymer science. He suggested a new molecular model for polymers; one of long, chain-like molecules and not aggregates or cyclic compounds as previously thought. In 1928, his models were confirmed by Meyer and Mark. These two scientists studied the dimensions of natural rubber using x-ray techniques. By the 1930s, models were widely accepted and extensive development of synthetic polymers began in

The separation of macromolecules for laboratory analysis can involve the use of any of several techniques that isolate macromolecular components on the basis of size, solubility, reactivity, and volatility. Electrophoresis, for example, is a method of macromolecular separation that involves the use of a suspending medium, known as the matrix, and an applied electrical current that separates molecular components based on varying size and reactivity. While a uniform electrical current may activate the movement of molecular components through the matrix, the sponge-like structure of gel matrixes typically used in nucleic acid electrophoresis, such as agarose or polyacrylamide, inhibits the uniform migration of these components through the matrix

All living things are made out of billions of cells and all contain macromolecules. They are responsible for life as we know it. As we begin to advance and go farther in the field of science, more and more questions are being asked and to answer them, more technologies and techniques are being created and discovered. Scientists John B. Fenn and Koichi Tanaka (for mass spectrometry, a method of identifying molecules) and Kurt Wüthrich (for nuclear magnetic resonance, a method used to form a three-dimensional image of a molecule) created different methods that allowed us to embrace macromolecules. They created a revolutionary breakthrough that made chemical biology into the “big science” of our time.

Macromolecules have a large covalent structures which contain non-metal atoms, they are joined to contiguous atoms by covalent bonds. Substances that have giant covalent structures have high melting points due to a lot of strong covalent bonds that must be broken.

The presence of a nuclear envelope surrounding genetic code is the main defining feature that separates eukaryotes from prokaryotes. This compartmentalisation of the genome provides a novel way for a cell to control gene expression, as proteins and macromolecules that are synthesised in the cytoplasm and function in the nucleoplasm must be imported across the double nuclear membrane and vice versa.

"Plastic" entered the world through chemistry in 1909 and was originally coined to describe Bakelite, the first fully synthetic resin. What make's plastic so unique is when it is heated it can be molded but it retained its shape when cooled (Reddy, 2010). The modern plastic bag was not possible until the accidental discovery of the first industrially practical method of polyethylene synthesis in 1933. Fast forward to today, the use and

In the last decade, plastic pollution has affected the environment and the human health at a higher rate. A lot of situations experienced across the globe have attracted a lot of attention concerning the use of plastic in daily life. Plastic materials that we use every day in everything which is detrimental to the environment has perhaps turned to be the most dumped waste material because it does not decompose quickly. Based on the recent research plastic takes hundreds of years to foul up (Gregory, 2009). Pollution bags consist of the polymers large molecules with repeating units known as the monomers. These complex chains of polymers have changed the daily human life because its uses are randomly increasing every year.

When many units of repeating molecules react together, monomers, the reaction will yield a product in the form of a polymer (Chemistryexplained.com, 2016). The ‘discovery’ of polymers began in 1920, with the belief of Hermann Staudinger, that there existed a molecule consisting of many smaller repeating molecules, under the name ‘macromolecule’ (Chemistryexplained.com, 2016). Nowadays, polymer and plastic demand is even higher than that of copper, aluminium, and even steel, due to their versatile applications in many different industries (Matse1.matse.illinois.edu, 2016). Polymer synthesis can be either synthetic or natural, and can produce many forms of polymers, depending on the involved monomers, and the intended purpose for said polymers (Essentialchemicalindustry.org, 2016). This process involves three main steps, initiation or separating of the double bonds of the to-be-monomer, propagation or the joining of these monomers, and termination, when the desired chain length has been reached (Chemistryexplained.com, 2016). History is brimful with scientific discoveries both intentional, and completely accidental, however, it can be seen that the majority of polymers were crafted due to societal demand, although the method of actual synthesis initially may have been serendipitous. Two of the polymers scientifically researched and synthesised due to demand of the times were synthetic rubber, and Bakelite (Chemistryexplained.com, 2016).

Though polymers are a very beneficial thing now, but In the future I believe that at the very best that they will only hold the same value to society. I say this because polymers are not a very complicated item and it would be difficult to better this technology in a drastic way. The only further advancements I see are people discovering ways to make polymers stronger, more durable and better suited for extreme and

Plastic is a man made chemical that has been invented in 1907. Back then, plastic did not

Plastics were not always made from refined oils and gases like they are today. In 1869 inventor John Wesley Hyatt created and patented a new material named celluloid. Celluloid was made from the cellulose in cotton, a natural polymer. Today plant cellulose is being looked at as a base material for a greener plastic. This early plastic was able to be made into many colors and molded into an array of shapes. It took the place of many natural resources that were becoming scarce, such as ivory and tortoise shells used to make combs. In the beginning, making items from celluloid was labor intensive. Items had to be molded in small batches and hand polished. It was also unstable causing factories to catch fire. (freinkel) The invention of synthetic plastic forever changed culture and the environment. In 1930s, during the German war, scientist were ordered to make something that was cheap and durable. Since then plastic has dramatically increase. “Plastic production grew from making 20 million pounds in 1927 to 650

Plastics are materials that can be moulded into any shape by applying heat and/or pressure while soft but obtain a hard a rigid structure when hardened. Plastics are mainly carbon based and can be made out of materials such as crude oil, plants, minerals, natural gas and coal. Plastics are made up of large molecules called polymers which are made up of shorter compounds called monomers. To make various types of plastics, chemists use different types of monomers in different arrangements to change the chemical and physical properties.