Final answer:
Monomers are the building blocks of polymers and are linked together through dehydration synthesis, forming polymers, whereas hydrolysis breaks polymers back down into monomers.
Step-by-step explanation:
The relationship between monomers and polymers is central to understanding how large molecules are formed from smaller units. Polymerization is the process in which monomers are covalently bonded to form polymers. This process generally occurs through two types of reactions: dehydration synthesis or condensation reactions, where water is eliminated, and addition reactions, where monomers with double bonds form chains.
During dehydration synthesis, a hydrogen atom is removed from one monomer and a hydroxyl group from another, releasing a water molecule and forming a covalent bond between the monomers. Hydrolysis, on the other hand, is the process by which a polymer is broken down into its constituent monomers, a reaction involving the addition of water, where the water molecule is split to donate a hydrogen atom to one monomer and a hydroxyl group to the other.
In summary, option (a) 'Polymerization involves the formation of smaller monomers' is incorrect, option (b) 'Monomers are formed by the breakdown of polymers' is the correct concept but poorly worded as monomers exist independently and are also formed during hydrolysis, option (c) 'Polymers and monomers have the same structural formulas' is incorrect, and option (d) 'Monomers are not involved in polymer formation' is incorrect. The most accurate description in the context of polymer chemistry is that monomers are the building blocks of polymers, and polymers can be broken down into monomers.