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Polysaccharides are linear or branched chains of sugar carbohydrates; examples include starch, cellulose, and alginate. Other examples of biopolymers include natural rubbers (polymers of isoprene), suberin and lignin (complex polyphenolic polymers), cutin and cutan (complex polymers of long-chain fatty acids), melanin, and polyhydroxyalkanoates ...
A graft polymer molecule is a branched polymer molecule in which one or more of the side chains are different, structurally or configurationally, from the main chain. A star-shaped polymer molecule is a branched polymer molecule in which a single branch point gives rise to multiple linear chains or arms.
At the top level are all alpha proteins (domains consisting of alpha helices), all beta proteins (domains consisting of beta sheets), and mixed alpha helix/beta sheet proteins. While most proteins adopt a single stable fold, a few proteins can rapidly interconvert between one or more folds. These are referred to as metamorphic proteins. [5]
Branch point in a polymer. Polymer architecture in polymer science relates to the way branching leads to a deviation from a strictly linear polymer chain. [1] Branching may occur randomly or reactions may be designed so that specific architectures are targeted. [1] It is an important microstructural feature.
Starch (a polymer of glucose) is used as a storage polysaccharide in plants, being found in the form of both amylose and the branched amylopectin. In animals, the structurally similar glucose polymer is the more densely branched glycogen, sometimes called "animal starch". Glycogen's properties allow it to be metabolized more quickly, which ...
Polymer-protein hybrids are a class of nanostructure composed of protein-polymer conjugates (i.e. complexes composed of one protein attached to one or more polymer chains). [1] [2] The protein component generally gives the advantages of biocompatibility and biodegradability, as many proteins are produced naturally by the body and are therefore well tolerated and metabolized. [3]
In polymer science, the side chain of an oligomeric or polymeric offshoot extends from the backbone chain of a polymer. Side chains have noteworthy influence on a polymer's properties, mainly its crystallinity and density. An oligomeric branch may be termed a short-chain branch, and a polymeric branch may be termed a long-chain branch.
In addition, RNA is a single-stranded polymer that can, like proteins, fold into a very large number of three-dimensional structures. Some of these structures provide binding sites for other molecules and chemically active centers that can catalyze specific chemical reactions on those bound molecules.