OCR General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) Biology Practice Exam

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What is a polymer?

A simple sugar molecule
A single amino acid
A large molecule composed of monomer chains
A type of enzyme

The correct answer is: A large molecule composed of monomer chains

A polymer is accurately defined as a large molecule made up of chains of smaller, repeating units known as monomers. These monomers bond together through various chemical processes, such as dehydration synthesis, resulting in the formation of complex structures. Polymers are prevalent in biological systems; for instance, proteins are polymers made from amino acid monomers, while DNA and RNA are polymers made from nucleotide monomers. The other choices do not fit this definition: a simple sugar molecule refers to monosaccharides, which are individual units rather than polymers; a single amino acid is also a monomer, not a polymer; and although enzymes can be polymers, specifically proteins that facilitate biochemical reactions, the term "enzyme" does not inherently define a polymer as a large molecule composed of monomer chains does. Therefore, the definition provided in the correct option clearly captures what constitutes a polymer in biological and chemical contexts.