Natural Polymers
Natural Polymers - Related Videos
04:21
Enhancing Viral Transduction in Natural Killer Cells Using a Cationic Polymer
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2025
This video demonstrates an assay for cationic polymer-mediated viral transduction in natural killer (NK) cells. The cells are incubated with transgenic lentivirus vectors encoding a fluorescent protein. The addition of a cationic polymer enables the virus to attach to the cells and integrate its RNA into the host genome, expressing the fluorescent protein. The fluorescence is quantified to assess the polymer-induced enhancement of transduction.
02:34
Polymers
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2020
The word polymer is derived from the Greek words “poly” which means “many” and “mer” which means “parts”. Polymers are long chains of molecules composed of repeating units of smaller molecules, known as monomers. They either occur naturally, such as DNA and proteins, or can be constructed synthetically, like plastics. They have varied structural characteristics, such as linear chains, branched chains, or complex networks, that contribute to the properties that they exhibit. Additionally,...
10:47
Manufacturing Of Robust Natural Fiber Preforms Utilizing Bacterial Cellulose as Binder
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Cited by 19 •
2014
We present a novel method of manufacturing rigid and robust short natural fiber preforms using a papermaking process. Bacterial cellulose acts simultaneously as the binder for the loose fibers and provides rigidity to the fiber preforms. These preforms can be infused with a resin to produce truly green hierarchical composites.
08:44
Tension Tests of Polymers
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2023
Source: Roberto Leon, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA Polymeric materials are widely used in civil structures, with uses ranging from very soft sealants to more rigid pipes in water and wastewater systems. The most basic definition of a polymer is a molecular structure with repeating subunits. The term polymer comes from Greek, where "poly" means many, and "-mer" means basic unit. Monomers, or single mers, are the specific repeating units. With...
01:10
Nature and Nurture
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2019
Many human characteristics, like height, are shaped by both nature—in other words, by our genes—and by nurture, or our environment. For example, chronic stress during childhood inhibits the production of growth hormones and consequently reduces bone growth and height. Scientists estimate that 70-90% of variation in height is due to genetic differences among individuals, and 10-30% of variation in height is due to differences in the environments that individuals experience, such as differences...
FAQs
Chain length and branching change how polymer molecules pack, interact, and behave as materials. Longer chains can contribute to different levels of strength or solubility, while branching alters molecular arrangement and intermolecular contacts. Examining these structural features helps chemists explain why natural polymers can serve different functions in materials, biological systems, and formulated products.
Stereochemistry describes the three-dimensional arrangement of atoms within repeating units, and it can strongly affect how polymer chains interact. In natural polymers, this structural detail contributes to differences in strength, solubility, biodegradability, and biological function. Chemists therefore consider stereochemistry alongside chain length and branching when connecting molecular structure with observed material behavior.
Enzyme-catalyzed reactions assemble repeating units into polymer chains within living organisms. The available monomers depend on the biological system and may include sugars, amino acids, or nucleotides. This biosynthetic control links molecular formation with biological function, giving chemists a basis for studying how naturally produced structures differ in composition and resulting properties.
Intermolecular forces determine how neighboring polymer chains attract or associate with one another. These interactions influence material characteristics such as strength and solubility, while also contributing to the biological functions of proteins and nucleic acids. Evaluating these forces allows chemistry researchers to interpret macroscopic behavior from molecular-level interactions rather than considering composition alone.
A structure-property analysis considers chain length, branching, stereochemistry, and intermolecular forces together, then relates them to characteristics such as biodegradability, strength, solubility, and biological function. This approach provides a framework for comparing cellulose, starch, proteins, and nucleic acids and for identifying which structural features are relevant to a selected material or biological application.
Natural polymers support research in sustainable packaging, biomaterials, drug delivery, textiles, and food science. Their usefulness comes from the ability to relate molecular structure to properties such as biodegradability, strength, and solubility. These applications place chemistry at the interface of material design, biological function, and the development of renewable alternatives to petroleum-derived polymer systems.
Studying these polymers helps guide the design of renewable systems that may reduce reliance on petroleum-derived materials. Chemists use knowledge of biosynthetic origins, molecular structure, and material properties to evaluate how naturally produced molecules can support practical functions. This perspective is relevant when developing sustainable packaging, biomaterials, and other applications that require specific performance characteristics.