What is the monomer used for?

Monomers play an extremely important role in the fields of chemistry and biology. They are usually the basic units that make up polymers (such as proteins, nucleic acids, and polysaccharides). Specifically, monomers are linked together by specific chemical bonds (such as peptide bonds, phosphodiester bonds, or glycosidic bonds) to form long chains or three-dimensional polymers.

In biology, the monomers of DNA and RNA are deoxyribonucleotides and ribonucleotides, respectively, which are linked into chain structures through phosphodiester bonds and carry genetic information. The monomers of proteins are amino acids, which are linked into polypeptide chains through peptide bonds, and then folded and modified to form protein molecules with specific functions. The monomers of polysaccharides are monosaccharides (such as glucose, fructose, etc.), which are linked into high molecular weight polysaccharides such as starch, cellulose, and glycogen through glycosidic bonds, which play an important role in storing energy and forming cell walls in organisms.

In addition, monomers are also used as raw materials or intermediates in the chemical industry to synthesize various polymer materials, such as plastics, rubber, and fibers. These polymer materials are widely used in daily life, industrial production, and scientific and technological development.

Therefore, monomers are not only the basic substances that constitute living organisms, but also important raw materials that are indispensable in the modern chemical industry.