Question

Which polymers occur naturally?
(A) Starch and nylon
(B) Starch and cellulose
(C) Proteins and nylon
(D) Protein and PVC

Answer 1

As we know that a polymer is a substance that contains very large molecules or macromolecules which are basically composed of repeating units called monomers. Natural polymers are the one that are obtained naturally which are present in abundant amounts in plants, animals and human beings as well.

Complete answer: As we know that polymers can be natural, synthetic and semi-synthetic in nature. So, natural polymers are the one which are naturally occurring in nature and they are abundantly present in plants, animals as well as human beings including proteins, DNA, RNA, Glycogen etc.
Thus from the above options we can say that cellulose and starch are naturally occurring.
We know that cellulose is the main structural component of plants which is made up of glucose monomers and it is one of the most abundant organic compounds on Earth. The purest form of natural cellulose found naturally is cotton.
Then we have starch which is again made up of glucose monomers and is a result of condensation polymerisation reaction. It is a form of carbohydrates which occurs naturally in plants and provides energy to both plants and animals.
We also know that Nylon is a synthetic polymer which is prepared by the condensation polymerisation reaction of hexamethylenediamine with adipic acid under high temperature and pressure and we also know that Vinyl chloride is generally used to make poly vinyl chloride (PVC) which is used in manufacturing of rain coats, hand bags etc.

Therefore, the correct answer is (B).

Note: Always remember that natural polymers also include proteins which are basically composed of amino acids as their monomers. Protein polymers include hair, fur, finger nails, toe nails etc and in animals case, wool, silk and leather fall under the category of natural protein polymers.