9.25C - Natural polymers: DNA, starch and proteins
Match DNA, starch and proteins to their monomers, and distinguish the number of monomer types from the many units in a polymer molecule.
Polymers made by living organisms
Natural polymers are large molecules made by living organisms from many smaller building blocks. Those small molecules are monomers. DNA, starch and proteins are all natural polymers, but their monomers differ.
| Natural polymer | Monomer building blocks |
|---|---|
| DNA | four different types of nucleotide |
| starch | sugars, specifically glucose |
| proteins | amino acids |
Starch is built from many glucose units. Glucose is a sugar, so both “glucose” and the broader “sugars” correctly identify what starch is based on. Proteins are chains made from amino acids. These are not the monomers of DNA.
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