Biopolymers are nothing more than macromolecules present in living beings, many of which are synthesized every year, thanks to different medical disciplines, such as tissue engineering, achieving compatibility with humans. In other words, they are oil extracts that, when synthesized with some other synthetic growth product and when they come into contact with human tissue, can cause a number of dangerous reactions to the individual.
There are three fundamental families of biopolymers and they are: proteins, which are made up of fibroins and globulins, there are also polysaccharides, which include cellulose alginates, and lastly, nucleic acids, that is, DNA and RNA. There are others such as polyterpenes that include natural rubber, polyphenols or some polyesters such as polyhydroxyalkanoates produced by some bacteria.
On the other hand, the most common natural biopolymers are the polymers synthesized by living beings, among which are:
Nucleic acids: They are considered the most important biopolymers, since they carry genetic information inherited from generation to generation. Proteins: they are formed by peptide bonds between amino acids and play an important role in living beings, since they participate in various biological functions. One of them is collagen, antibodies, enzymes, among others. Polysaccharides: they are the result of the condensation of simple monosaccharides, these have certain structural functions such as cellulose, pectin, alginates, among others. Polyterpenes: It is composed of two well-known polyisoprenes, like natural rubber, namely polyisoprene and gutta-percha.
Just as there are natural biopolymers, there are also synthetic ones, which have much simpler and randomly organized structures. This leads to a molecular mass distribution that is not observed in biopolymers. Since their synthesis is controlled by a directed process in most systems, all biopolymers of one type are all the same. Furthermore, they contain similar sequences and numbers of monomers and therefore all have the same mass in their structure. This is called monodispersity in contrast to the polydispersity found in synthetic polymers. As a result, the biopolymers have a polydispersity index of 1.5.
