What process involves the chemical combination of monomers to form a polymer?

The process that involves the chemical combination of monomers to form a polymer is known as polymerization. This term broadly describes the creation of large molecules, or polymers, from smaller units, or monomers. While polymerization encompasses various specific methods, the underlying principle is that monomers link together to create a larger, more complex structure.

In biological systems, polymerization is fundamental for synthesizing macromolecules such as proteins, nucleic acids, and polysaccharides. Each of these polymers is formed from specific monomers—amino acids for proteins, nucleotides for nucleic acids, and monosaccharides for polysaccharides—through processes like dehydration synthesis.

Dehydration synthesis specifically refers to a specific type of polymerization where water is removed during the reaction as monomers bond together, thereby constructing a polymer. This choice is a more precise term within the broader category of polymerization, but polymerization itself captures the overall process of forming polymolecular structures from their basic units.

Denaturation refers to the alteration of a protein's structure due to external stress or conditions, such as heat or pH changes, and does not pertain to the formation of polymers. Hydrolysis, on the other hand, is a process that breaks down polymers