Ebook: Mega Molecules: Tales of Adhesives, Bread, Diamonds, Eggs, Fibers, Foams, Gelatin, Leather, Meat, Plastics, Resists, Rubber, ... and Cabbages and Kings
- Tags: Inorganic Chemistry, Polymer Sciences, Biochemistry general
- Year: 1987
- Publisher: Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg
- Edition: 1
- Language: English
- pdf
All life is based on big molecules, scientifically called "mac romolecules". Humans, animals, and plants cease to exist without these structural, reserve, and transport molecules. No life can be propagated without macromolecular DNA and RNA. Without macromolecules, we would only dine on water, sugars, fats, vitamins and salts but had to relinquish meat, eggs, cereals, vegetables, and fruits. We would not live in houses since wood and many stones consist of macromole cules. Without macromolecules, no clothes since all fibers are made from macromolecules. No present-day car could run: All tires are based on macromolecules. Without macromole cules no photographic films, no electronics ... If macromolecules are so important then why is commonly so little known about their roles and why are they so little mentioned in school, if at all? As often in human history, tra dition is important and science makes no exception. Chemis try was established as the chemistry of low molecular weight compounds since these were most easy to investigate, charac terize, and convert. A beautiful tower of thought was erected by the chemical sciences long before the idea of giant mole cules, macromolecules, took hold. There was no space for newcomers in this tower. Even today one can learn about chemistry without hearing a word about macromolecules.
Content:
Front Matter....Pages I-XIII
Genuine Plastics and Other Natural Products....Pages 1-5
In the Beginning was the Deed....Pages 6-13
How Big is Big?....Pages 14-25
False Doctrines....Pages 26-39
The Mysterious Crazy Glue....Pages 40-58
Corn Syrup and Hi-Tech....Pages 59-68
Engine Oils and Vanilla Sauces....Pages 69-81
Screwing Up Things....Pages 82-101
Spiders, Weavers, and Webs....Pages 102-118
How to Iron Correctly....Pages 119-126
From Cheap Substitutes to High Performance Materials....Pages 127-138
Everything Flows....Pages 139-154
In and Out....Pages 155-172
Charges and Currents....Pages 173-183
Erratum To: False Doctrines....Pages 184-184
Erratum To: Screwing Up Things....Pages 185-185
Erratum To: How to Iron Correctly....Pages 186-186
Erratum To: Everything Flows....Pages 187-187
Erratum To: In and Out....Pages 188-188
Erratum To: Charges and Currents....Pages 189-189
Back Matter....Pages 184-202
Content:
Front Matter....Pages I-XIII
Genuine Plastics and Other Natural Products....Pages 1-5
In the Beginning was the Deed....Pages 6-13
How Big is Big?....Pages 14-25
False Doctrines....Pages 26-39
The Mysterious Crazy Glue....Pages 40-58
Corn Syrup and Hi-Tech....Pages 59-68
Engine Oils and Vanilla Sauces....Pages 69-81
Screwing Up Things....Pages 82-101
Spiders, Weavers, and Webs....Pages 102-118
How to Iron Correctly....Pages 119-126
From Cheap Substitutes to High Performance Materials....Pages 127-138
Everything Flows....Pages 139-154
In and Out....Pages 155-172
Charges and Currents....Pages 173-183
Erratum To: False Doctrines....Pages 184-184
Erratum To: Screwing Up Things....Pages 185-185
Erratum To: How to Iron Correctly....Pages 186-186
Erratum To: Everything Flows....Pages 187-187
Erratum To: In and Out....Pages 188-188
Erratum To: Charges and Currents....Pages 189-189
Back Matter....Pages 184-202
....