Illustrated Glossary of Organic Chemistry

Monomer: A molecule or segment of molecular structure that is repeated many times in a polymer. From the Greek mono- (one) and -mer (part). Compare with polymer ("many parts").


 Polymerization
  

Styrene
Polystyrene
A polystyrene cup.
Styrene is the monomer whose polymerization forms polystyrene.


 HOCH2CH2OH

Polymerization


Terephthalic acid
Polyethylene terephthalate   
A PET water bottle.
Polyethylene terephthalate (PET; PETE) is a copolymer formed from two monomers, terephthalic acid and ethylene glycol.


   

A peptide or protein is a biopolymer composed of amino acid monomers joined by peptide bonds.