A
monomer ( ) (, "one" + , "part") is a
molecule that may
bind chemically or supramolecularly to other molecules to form a (
supramolecular)
polymer. The process by which monomers combine end to end to form a polymer is called
polymerization. Molecules made of a small number of monomer units (up to a few dozen) are called
oligomers. The term "monomeric protein" may also be used to describe one of the proteins making up a
multiprotein complex.