Polymers—macromolecules composed of many small molecules—are vital to life. For example, proteins provide the cell with structure and carry out its mechanical and enzymatic work. Fatty acids store energy in their bonds, and lipids form the membranes that seal off the cell's aqueous interior from its aqueous exterior. Heredity lies in the very long polymeric strands of deoxyribonucleic acid—DNA.
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1997
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