Polyacrylamide is an acrylate polymer formed from acrylamide subunits that is readily cross-linked. Acrylamide needs to be handled using Good Laboratory Practices (GLP) to avoid poisoning since it is a neurotoxin. Polyacrylamide is not toxic, but un-polymerized acrylamide can be present near the polymerized acrylamide. Therefore it is recommended to handle it with caution. It is highly water-absorbent, forming a soft gel used in such applications as polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and in manufacturing soft contact lenses. Acrylate monomers are esters that contain vinyl groups, that is, two carbon atoms double bonded to each other, directly attached to the carbonyl carbon. ... A polymer is a generic term used to describe a substantially long molecule. ... The chemical compound acrylamide is an amide with chemical formula C3H5NO and structure It is a white odorless crystalline, soluble in water, ethanol and ether. ... A neurotoxin is a toxin that acts specifically on nerve cells, or neurons, usually by interacting with membrane proteins and ion channels. ... A gel is an apparently solid, jellylike material formed from a colloidal solution. ... Picture of an SDS-PAGE. The molecular marker is in the left lane SDS-PAGE stands for Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate Polyacrylamide Gel Electrophoresis. ... A soft contact lens A contact lens (also known as contact, for short) is a corrective or cosmetic lens placed on the cornea of the eye atop the iris. ...

It has also been advertised as a soil-conditioner called Krilium by Monsanto in the 1950s and today "MP", which is stated to be a "unique formulation of PAM (water-soluble polyacrylamide)". Monsanto Company (NYSE: MON) is a multinational agricultural biotechnology corporation. ...

Ionic substances like salt cause Polyacrylamide to release its absorbed substance.

External Links

http://scifun.chem.wisc.edu/CHEMWEEK/polymers/polymers.html

http://science.howstuffworks.com/question581.htm