-mer

The suffix - mer (Greek μέρος meros, part ') is used primarily in chemistry and biochemistry to the general naming of molecules using.

Composed Molecules that are ( in consideration of the whole also called subunits) of a defined number of units, a number word such as mono, di, tri, oligo or poly is prefixed, which indicates how many parts the molecule. A tetramer has, for example of four subunits. In its broadest sense, this can be a protein to act DNA, RNA or carbohydrates. By placing the prefix " homo " or " hetero " indicates whether it is identical subunits or not. In biology are also proteins with several subunits, which consist of hundreds of amino acids by yourself, as dimers or trimers respectively. For example, hemoglobin is referred to as a tetrameric protein, as it is composed of four subunits. It would be useless as a " Heteropolymer " to designate all proteins, although they are with respect to their composition from various amino acids.

Polymers also refer to a class of polymers whose molecules consist of many identical subunits. Contact polymers of different subunits, one speaks of heteropolymers.

Examples

• Monomer Glucose, a glucose monomer
• Myoglobin, one consisting of a globin -heme subunit protein.

• Sucrose (household ) sugar consisting of glucose and fructose, is a heterodimer.

• AMP -activated protein kinase, an enzyme consisting of three subunits

• Hemoglobin, the protein that carries oxygen in the blood exists in four globular, heme-containing subunits and is a homotetramer

• Biopolymer Starch and cellulose consist of glucose monomers, that are Homobiopolymere.
• Hair is made ​​of keratin ( a Heterobiopolymer ).
• Silk

• PP - polypropylene
• PVC - Polyvinyl chloride

• Suffix ( biology)
• Chemical nomenclature
• Macromolecular Chemistry