Podcast
Questions and Answers
What percentage of the dry weight of the human body is composed of the six primary elements?
What percentage of the dry weight of the human body is composed of the six primary elements?
Why is carbon considered a unique element in living matter?
Why is carbon considered a unique element in living matter?
Which of the following elements is NOT included among the six primary elements found in living matter?
Which of the following elements is NOT included among the six primary elements found in living matter?
How many compounds found in living systems contain carbon?
How many compounds found in living systems contain carbon?
Signup and view all the answers
What characteristic of carbon allows it to create C-C chains of virtually unlimited length?
What characteristic of carbon allows it to create C-C chains of virtually unlimited length?
Signup and view all the answers
Study Notes
Composition of Living Matter
- Living matter is primarily composed of six elements: carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, phosphorus, and sulfur.
- These six elements comprise about 90% of the dry weight of the human body.
- Other important elements found in cells include Ca, K, Na, Cl, Mg, Fe, Cu, Co, I, Zn, F, Mo, and Se.
Carbon's Uniqueness
- Carbon is the most prevalent and versatile element in living organisms.
- Carbon's unique property is its ability to form a vast number of compounds.
- This is due to carbon's capacity to form stable covalent bonds and create long, unbranched carbon-carbon chains of virtually unlimited length.
- Around 90% of the compounds found in living systems contain carbon.
Studying That Suits You
Use AI to generate personalized quizzes and flashcards to suit your learning preferences.
Description
Explore the fundamental elements that make up living matter in this quiz. Learn about the six primary elements and their significance in the human body. Discover the unique properties of carbon and its role in biological compounds.
