Exploring the Limits: What is the Longest Molecule?

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In summary, the conversation discusses the concept of the longest molecule and whether certain substances, such as proteins and lipids, can be considered molecules. There is also a debate about whether polymers should be classified as molecules or not. The conversation also touches on the idea of a degenerate star being considered a molecule and mentions a recent discovery of a large hollow cage molecule made up of 1000 atoms. Ultimately, the distinction between a molecule and other substances is discussed, with some sources arguing that polymers should not be considered molecules.
  • #1
mollwollfumble
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TL;DR Summary
Longest DNA, nanotube, polymer, silk, nylon, glass, wire
What is the longest molecule? Are we talking about of order of magnitude:
  • 1 metre, eg. DNA, carbon nanotube, polyethylene (UHMWPE)?
  • 1 kilometre, eg. silk strand, monofilament nylon?
  • 100 to 1,000 km, eg. steel wire for suspension bridge, copper wire, optical glass fibre?
  • 12,700 km, covalent bonding connecting the whole of the Earth's crust?
 
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  • #2
What have you found so far?

Why do you think things you listed count as molecules? What is a molecule?
 
  • #3
Carbohydrates, Proteins, Lipids, Nucleic acid are Four Large Molecules
 
  • #4
Seconding Borek's question: you should first learn what defines a molecule. That will make the answer to your quiz quite simple.
 
  • #5
naresh123 said:
Carbohydrates, Proteins, Lipids, Nucleic acid are Four Large Molecules
Carbohydrates and nucleic acids can each by up to of order two metres long. Aren't proteins and lipids very much smaller?
 
  • #6
mollwollfumble said:
Aren't proteins and lipids very much smaller?
I think only lipids falls in micromolecules and proteins are macromolecules.
 
  • #7
I had a professor that said it was the ocean since water is always in the process of taking/borrowing hydrogens. He said that touching a water molecule along the shore here in North America had an effect on a water molecule in Antartica. I always wondered how he would prove something like that...
 
  • #8
What is the distinction between a crystalline solid (or a metal) and a molecule? There are individual atoms and variously stable agglutinations of atoms: to me the other designations seem arbitrary (and possibly capricious!)
 
  • #9
An nth-length alcohol or something similar would probably be the longest.
 
  • #10
Can't one make certain polymers as long as is desired? Maybe thermodynamic fluctuations produce a practical limit?? Seems like you just add another monomer.
 
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  • #11
hutchphd said:
Can't one make certain polymers as long as is desired? Maybe thermodynamic fluctuations produce a practical limit?? Seems like you just add another monomer.

That was my understanding. You can just keep stitching carbon atoms on the end in a DNA-Like structure and keep going forever. I wonder if a degenerate star counts as being a molecule? I suppose it has to be pure chemical forces and not gravity holding it together.
 
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1. What is the definition of a molecule?

A molecule is a group of two or more atoms that are chemically bonded together.

2. What is the longest molecule known to exist?

The longest molecule known to exist is the protein titin, also known as connectin. It is found in muscle cells and can contain over 30,000 amino acids, making it one of the largest known molecules.

3. How is the length of a molecule determined?

The length of a molecule is determined by the number of atoms it contains and the bonds between those atoms. The more atoms and bonds, the longer the molecule will be.

4. Can a molecule be longer than titin?

It is possible for a molecule to be longer than titin, as there is no theoretical limit to the length of a molecule. However, titin is currently the longest known molecule in existence.

5. Are longer molecules more complex?

Not necessarily. The length of a molecule does not determine its complexity. A molecule can be long but relatively simple in structure, while a shorter molecule can be more complex with a highly branched structure.

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