1. LECTURE 11.1 – POLYMERS

2. Today’s Learning Targets
LT 9.5 – I can identify the subunits of proteins, carbohydrates, and nucleic acids and explain why carbon is central to all of their structures.
LT 9.6 – I can discuss how the bonding characteristics of carbons have allowed for humans to burn fossil fuels in order to produce energy.

3. Why is carbon in all living matter?

4. C I. Our Friend Carbon Carbon likes to bond with a lot of atoms.
This is due to its 4 valence electrons
Because of this ability to bond, carbon is essential in all living matter. C

5. I. Our Friend Carbon
Because of carbon’s unique bonding characteristics, this allows it to form repeating structures.
Large biological molecules are just repeating structures of smaller carbon units.

6. What are polymers?

7. Polymers
A polymer is a large molecules that is made up of small repeating subunits that are known as monomers.
A polymer is formed by linking together these small monomers.
Central in many of these is carbon