Editing Macromolecule (section)

{{Short description|Very large molecule, such as a protein}}
{{redirect|Macromolecules|the journal|Macromolecules (journal)}}
{{redirect|Macromolecular chemistry|the journal formerly known as Macromolecular Chemistry|Macromolecular Chemistry and Physics}}

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[[Image:ProteinStructure.jpg|thumb|300px|Chemical structure of a [[polypeptide]] macromolecule]]

A '''macromolecule''' is a very large [[molecule]] important to [[biological process]]es, such as a [[protein]] or [[nucleic acid]]. It is composed of thousands of [[covalent bond|covalently bonded]] [[atoms]]. Many macromolecules are [[polymer]]s of smaller molecules called [[monomer]]s. The most common macromolecules in [[biochemistry]] are [[biopolymer]]s ([[nucleic acid]]s, [[protein]]s, and [[carbohydrate]]s) and large non-polymeric molecules such as [[lipid]]s, [[nanogel]]s and [[macrocycle]]s.<ref name="Stryer_2002">{{cite book |vauthors=Stryer L, Berg JM, Tymoczko JL | title = Biochemistry | publisher = [[W.H. Freeman]] | location = San Francisco | year = 2002 | edition = 5th | isbn = 978-0-7167-4955-4 | url = https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK21154/ }}</ref> Synthetic fibers and experimental materials such as [[carbon nanotube]]s<ref>[http://www.americanchemistry.com/s_plastics/doc.asp?CID=1571&DID=5972 Life cycle of a plastic product] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100317004747/http://www.americanchemistry.com/s_plastics/doc.asp?CID=1571&DID=5972 |date=2010-03-17 }}. Americanchemistry.com. Retrieved on 2011-07-01.</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Gullapalli |first1=S. |last2=Wong |first2=M.S. |year=2011 |title=Nanotechnology: A Guide to Nano-Objects |url=http://www.aiche.org/uploadedFiles/Publications/CEPMagazine/051128_public.pdf |journal=Chemical Engineering Progress |volume=107 |issue=5 |pages=28–32 |access-date=2015-06-28 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120813180046/http://www.aiche.org/uploadedFiles/Publications/CEPMagazine/051128_public.pdf |archive-date=2012-08-13 |url-status=dead }}</ref> are also examples of macromolecules.