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( Macromolecule)
The term macromolecule by definition implies "large molecule". In the context of biochemistry, the term may be applied to the four conventional biopolymers (nucleic acids, proteins, carbohydrates, and lipids), as well as non-polymeric molecules with large molecular mass such as macrocycles. The term macromolecule was named by Nobel laureate Hermann Staudinger in the 1920s although his first relevant publication on this field only mentions high molecular compounds (in excess of 1000 atoms). [1]. At that time the phrase polymer as introduced by Berzelius in 1833 had a different meaning from that of today it simply was another form of isomerism for example with benzene and acetylene and had little to do with size [2]. Usage of the term to describe different forms of large molecules varies among the disciplines. For example, while biology refers to macromolecules as the four large molecules living things are composed of, from the perspective of chemistry, the term may refer to aggregates of two or more macromolecules held together by intermolecular forces rather than covalent bonds but which do not readily dissociate.[3] According to the recommended IUPAC definition, the term macromolecule as used in polymer science refers only to a single molecule. For example, a single polymeric molecule is appropriately described as a "macromolecule" or "polymer molecule" rather than a "polymer", which suggests a substance composed of macromolecules.[4]
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