Macromolecule

macromolecule, any very large molecule, usually with a diameter ranging from about 100 to 10,000 angstroms (10⁻⁵ to 10⁻³ mm). The molecule is the smallest unit of the substance that retains its characteristic properties. The macromolecule is such a unit but is considerably larger than the ordinary molecule, which usually has a diameter of less than 10 angstroms (10⁻⁶ mm). Plastics, resins, many synthetic and natural fibres (e.g., nylon and cotton), rubbers, and the biologically important proteins and nucleic acids are among many substances that are made up of macromolecular units.

Macromolecules are composed of much larger numbers of atoms than ordinary molecules. For example, a molecule of polyethylene, a plastic material, may consist of as many as 2,500 methylene groups, each composed of two hydrogen atoms and one carbon atom. The corresponding molecular weight of such a molecule is on the order of 35,000. Insulin, a protein hormone present in the pancreas and responsible for regulation of blood-sugar levels, has a molecular unit derived from 51 amino acids (by themselves molecules containing carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, and sometimes sulfur). The exact molecular weight of insulin from cattle has been determined to be 5,734.