Natural polymers
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As in the name these polymers are created in nature itself. Natural polymers can help and/or
destroy an environment. In fact our body is made of two main natural polymers;
DNA, RNA, and also enzymes. Some other natural polymers are in cellulose in trees, proteins in nylon and also the most unknown polymer is in potatoes. Wood, silk, and many other manufacturing
tools are also natural polymers. All of these polymer fall under a category of a scientific name. For example polysaccharides (sugar polymers) include DNA, RNA, starch, cellulose, wood, potatoes, and also
chitin. Chitin is what makes up many crustaceans like lobster, crab, and shrimp.
Chitin is hard and very insoluble but somehow nature has tricked us by having
this polymer surprisingly flexible. We have tried to duplicate this with
properties we know of but are unable to produce the results we are hoping for.
Another polysaccharide is natural rubber found in trees, we use rubber in many
places world-wide and don’t even know we are using it. The other well known category of natural polymer is polypeptide which includes proteins in hair, skin, and also in nails. The material in nails is also in a rhinos’ nose, they can repeat and grow the older
they get. Enzymes and silk are also in this category and all of these items have lots of things in common.
destroy an environment. In fact our body is made of two main natural polymers;
DNA, RNA, and also enzymes. Some other natural polymers are in cellulose in trees, proteins in nylon and also the most unknown polymer is in potatoes. Wood, silk, and many other manufacturing
tools are also natural polymers. All of these polymer fall under a category of a scientific name. For example polysaccharides (sugar polymers) include DNA, RNA, starch, cellulose, wood, potatoes, and also
chitin. Chitin is what makes up many crustaceans like lobster, crab, and shrimp.
Chitin is hard and very insoluble but somehow nature has tricked us by having
this polymer surprisingly flexible. We have tried to duplicate this with
properties we know of but are unable to produce the results we are hoping for.
Another polysaccharide is natural rubber found in trees, we use rubber in many
places world-wide and don’t even know we are using it. The other well known category of natural polymer is polypeptide which includes proteins in hair, skin, and also in nails. The material in nails is also in a rhinos’ nose, they can repeat and grow the older
they get. Enzymes and silk are also in this category and all of these items have lots of things in common.
Synthetic polymers
Synthetic polymers are the other category in the group of macromolecules other than natural polymers. Synthetic polymers are the polymers that we as humans have modified or created with the help of the discovery of other polymers to make life easier. For example nylon is a synthetic polymer and nylon is found in many things we use a lot. For example ropes used to made of non-dependable strings together, when the polymer of nylon came around it revolutionized ropes today for boats especially. Being more dependable and durable in tough weather than the other brands of ropes. In fact another real world example of a useful synthetic polymer is petroleum, most of us know this as gasoline. Cars have used gasoline since they were invented and synthetic polymer scientists have been inventing ways to use them more efficiently by altering their molecular make up. Scientist break down the hydrocarbons to see how to modify them and then get to work on the long chain like structure known as the polymer. In fact Leo Baekeland created Bakelite, this was one of the earliest synthetic polymer to impact life on Earth the most. Another scientist named Hermann Staudinger, conducted many experiments on polymers and eventually in the early 1920’s put together his theory of macromolecular theory of polymers, which eventually won him the Nobel Peace Prize in 1953 for his discoveries in the field of chemistry. Another important synthetic polymer even saves lives, this is known as bullet-proof vests, which happen to be made out of a synthetic polymer named Kevlar. Stephanie Kwolek came up with this polymer while working on the research facility at DuPont. As you can see synthetic polymers are just like natural polymers only modified by us to make life easier and safer.