IB Chemistry S2.4 Notes

If you take IB Biology, you will learn about metabolism. This is the complex network of interdependent and interacting chemical reactions occurring in living organisms. This typically involves the interchange between basic unit molecules, called monomers, and large polymers, called macromolecules.

To form these, chemical reactions involved in metabolism are divided into two types:

1. Catabolic reactions – these are reactions that break down macromolecules into monomers. All biological monomers will be formed via a hydrolysis reaction, which uses water to split the macromolecule.
2. Anabolic reactions – these are reactions that combine monomers to form macromolecules. All biological macromolecules are formed via a condensation reaction, which produces water or methanol from the monomers.

In this topic, you are expected to focus on the formation of polymers via condensation reactions.