QQuestionBiochemistry
QuestionBiochemistry
What elements make up carbohydrates, nucleic acids, proteins, and lipids?
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Answer
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Step 1:
Carbohydrates are primarily composed of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen atoms. The general formula for carbohydrates is C~m~(H~2~O)~n~, where m and n are usually equal or nearly equal.
Step 2:
Nucleic acids are made up of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, and phosphorus atoms. They consist of nucleotides, which have a sugar molecule, a phosphate group, and a nitrogenous base.
Step 3:
Proteins are built from carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen atoms, as well as sulfur in some cases. The building blocks of proteins are amino acids, which contain an amino group (-NH~2~), a carboxyl group (-COOH), and a variable side chain (R group).
Step 4:
Lipids are mainly composed of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen atoms. They can be categorized into simple lipids (fatty acids and glycerols), compound lipids (phospholipids and glycolipids), and derived lipids (steroids and terpenes).
Final Answer
- Carbohydrates: Carbon, Hydrogen, Oxygen - Nucleic Acids: Carbon, Hydrogen, Oxygen, Nitrogen, Phosphorus - Proteins: Carbon, Hydrogen, Oxygen, Nitrogen (and sometimes Sulfur) - Lipids: Carbon, Hydrogen, Oxygen
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