macromolecule
Sign in to savethumb|Chemical structure of a polypeptide macromolecule
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A macromolecule is a very large molecule made up of many smaller molecular units linked together in a chain. Macromolecules like proteins are essential to life, as they perform critical functions in living organisms.
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Article
11 sectionsContents
- Synthetic macromolecules
- Macromolecules in nature
- Linear biopolymers
- Structural features
- DNA is optimised for encoding information
- Proteins are optimised for catalysis
- RNA is multifunctional
- Branched biopolymers
- See also
- References
- External links
thumb|Chemical structure of a polypeptide macromolecule
A macromolecule is a "molecule of high relative molecular mass, the structure of which essentially comprises the multiple repetition of units derived, actually or conceptually, from molecules of low relative molecular mass." Polymers are physical examples of macromolecules. Common macromolecules are biopolymers (RNA and DNA, proteins, and carbohydrates), polyolefins (polyethylene) and polyamides (nylon).