Definition

A type of synthetic polymer made from acrylamide monomers, often used in various industrial and laboratory applications, including as a thickening agent or in gel electrophoresis.

Example

Polyacrylamide is commonly used in laboratories for separating proteins in gel electrophoresis.

Conversation

Have you ever heard of polyacrylamide?

I think I read about it in a chemistry book once.

It's interesting how it's used in so many applications.

Yeah, like in gels for electrophoresis, right?

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

Polyacrylamide → It is formed from "poly-" (from Greek "polus", meaning many) and "acrylamide" (a compound derived from acrylonitrile, which is based on the Latin "acrylicus", meaning of or pertaining to acryl). The word "polyacrylamide" refers to a polymer made from many acrylamide units.

Memory Tip

Think of 'many' ('poly-') units of acrylamide coming together to form a larger structure — that's what polyacrylamide is.

Visually Confused Words