8.1 Monomers

A monomer is any substance that can be converted into a polymer. For example，ethylene is a monomer that can be polymerized to polyethylene.

An amino acid is a monomer which，by loss of water，can polymerize to give polypeptides. The term monomer is used very loosely，sometimes it applies to dimers or trimers if they，themselves，can undergo further polymerization.