ABSTRACT
One of the strongest, most rapidly growing areas of polymer chemistry is that involving natural polymers. Our bodies are largely composed of polymers: DNA, RNA, proteins, and polycarbohydrates. These are related to aging, awareness, mobility, strength, and so on, i.e., all of the characteristics that contribute to our being alive and well. Many medical, health, and biological projects and advances are concerned with materials which are, at least in part, polymeric. There is an ever-increasing emphasis on molecular biology, i.e., chemistry applied to natural systems. Thus, an understanding of polymeric principles is advantageous to those desiring to pursue a career related to their natural environment.
