are lipids polymers or monomers!!!
2006-08-21 15:10:10 · 9 answers · asked by Harezichi 2 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Chemistry
monomers. In fact, they are long chain hydrocarbons with a carboxylic acid terminus.
Oh, you others are thinking phosholipids and their families... not lipids. Yep, triglycerides are not simple lipids.
2006-08-21 15:20:59 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
... Three classes of polymer are important in plant function: polysaccharides, proteins and nucleic acids. Together with lipids (most of which are not polymers) these molecules make up most of plant structure.
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A polymer is a large molecule made up of many identical monomers. Polymers are made when monomers are combined by condensation. Condensation involves molecules joining together with the release of water. Polymers can be broken down into monomers by hydrolysis. This occurs when molecules of water are added to the polymer causing the bonds between the monomers to break up.
Important biological polymers include polysaccharides, proteins and nucleic acids. These polymers may also be described as macromolecules - a word that simply means large molecules. So all polymers are macromolecules but not all macromolecules are polymers. Fats and lipids are macromolecules but they are not polymers.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/education/asguru/biology/02biologicalmolecules/pop_polymers.html
2006-08-21 22:22:17 · answer #2 · answered by Charity 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I don't think lipids are a good example of either polymers or monomers but they are certainly not monomers
the wikipedia describes lipid molecules as:
Chemically, fatty acids can be described as long-chain monocarboxylic acids and have a general structure of CH3(CH2)nCOOH. The length of the chain usually ranges from 12 to 24, always with an even number of carbons.
since they are "long chain" (12 to 24 carbon length chains) you can legimately call them polymers, but most polymers have much much longer chains than this
2006-08-21 22:24:29 · answer #3 · answered by enginerd 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Polymer
2006-08-21 22:19:10 · answer #4 · answered by DrB 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Lipids are polymers. It is composed of a long chain of fatty acids, its monomers. =)
2006-08-22 00:42:16 · answer #5 · answered by Aris 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Lipids are not truly polymers .
2006-08-21 22:48:45 · answer #6 · answered by Rajchem 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Lipids are fats so they are complex molecules so most likely polymers since they are complex. Then again, I'm no chemist.
2006-08-21 22:16:30 · answer #7 · answered by anonfuture 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
polymers for sure.
2006-08-21 22:18:49 · answer #8 · answered by frr_ls 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
i am pretty sure they are polomers because they are complex
2006-08-21 22:16:04 · answer #9 · answered by Andrew T 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋