Mega Molecules: Tales of Adhesives, Bread, Diamonds, Eggs, Fibers, Foams, Gelatin, Leather, Meat, Plastics, Resists, Rubber, and Cabbages and KingsAll life is based on big molecules, scientifically called "mac- romolecules." Humans, animals, and plants cease to exist without these structural, reserve, and transport molecules. No life can be propagated without macromolecular DNA and RNA. Without macromolecules, we would only dine on water, sugars, fats, vitamins and salts but had to relinquish meat, eggs, cereals, vegetables, and fruits. We would not live in houses since wood and many stones consist of macromole- cules. Without macromolecules, no clothes since all fibers are made from macromolecules. No present-day car could run: All tires are based on macromolecules. Without macromole- cules no photographic films, no electronics ... If macromolecules are so important then why is commonly so little known about their roles and why are they so little mentioned in school, if at all? As often in human history, tra- dition is important and science makes no exception. Chemis- try was established as the chemistry of low molecular weight compounds since these were most easy to investigate, charac- terize, and convert. A beautiful tower of thought was erected by the chemical sciences long before the idea of giant mole- cules, macromolecules, took hold. There was no space for newcomers in this tower. Even today one can learn about chemistry without hearing a word about macromolecules. |
Contents
Genuine Plastics and Other Natural Products | 1 |
Screwing Up Things | 8 |
How Big is Big? | 14 |
Copyright | |
16 other sections not shown
Other editions - View all
Mega Molecules: Tales of Adhesives, Bread, Diamonds, Eggs, Fibers, Foams ... Hans-Georg Elias No preview available - 1987 |
Common terms and phrases
acetate acid adhesives amylopectin amylose anions Bm Bm Bm carbon atoms cellulose nitrate CH₂ chain atoms chain bonds chain segments Chap chemical bonds chemical elements chemical structure chemists coil molecules compounds conformation cotton crosslinking crystal crystalline cules deformation degree of polymerization dioxide double bonds elastomers electric insulators electron pairs endgroups energy ethylene example fibers films foamed g/mol glass transition temperature glucose glue H H H H OH heat helices helix hydrogen atoms hydrogen bonds isotactic liquid low molar mass macromolecules materials melt metals methyl groups modulus molecular monomer monomer molecules natural rubber OH H oxygen pectin physical plastics poly polyamide polyester polyethylene polyethylene terephthalate polymers polypropylene polystyrene polyvinyl chloride position production properties protein protons reaction repeating units resins resulting S/cm silicon silk sodium solution solvent starch Staudinger styrene substituents sugar sulfur surface synthetic Table thermoplastic thermosets tion trans unperturbed valence viscosity wool он