Illustrated Glossary of Organic Chemistry

Linear (unbranched): A molecule or polymer with a single backbone; each monomer molecule is bonded to at most two other monomer molecules.


Octane is a linear hydrocarbon. Each carbon of the molecular skeleton is bonded to (at most) two other carbons.		2,2-Dimethyl hexane is a branched hydrocarbon.


Amylose (a component of starch) is a linear α-D-glucopyranose biopolymer.		Amylopectin (a component of starch) is a branched α-D-glucopyranose
		biopolymer. Branches sprout from glucopyranose carbon 6 approximately
		every 25^th monomer along the glucopyranose backbone.