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How Is Carbon Important To The Human Body?
How Is Carbon Important To The Human Body?
How Is Carbon Important To The Human Body?
CARBON
Carbon is the most important element to life. Without this element, life as we know it
would not exist. As you will see, carbon is the central element in compounds necessary
for life.
and nucleic acids.
The Element
The name for carbon comes from the Latin word ‘carbo’ which means coal. It has the
atomic number 6 and uses the symbol C. The 6 represents six electrons and six
protons and its placement is in the middle of the periodic table as a representation that
it is central to life as we know it. Some refer to carbon as the ‘King of the Elements’
because it is an absolute necessary to life. It has the highest melting point of the pure
elements at 3,500 degrees Celsius, and it’s one of the elements that ancient man knew
in its pure form.
Organic Compounds
Organic compounds make up the cells and other structures of living organisms and
they carry out the processes of life. Carbon is the main element of organic compounds
we need to live. We group these organic compounds into four types: Carbohydrates
(sugars and starches), Lipids (fats and oils), Proteins (enzymes and antibodies), and
Nucleic Acids (DNA, RNA). Still wondering why is carbon so important in biology?
It’s role in creating living organisms is one of the core reasons we study it.
Carbon, in its many forms, does not stay still. It moves all around the earth. It can
move with respiration, photosynthesis, as a part of food chains, and by burning fuel,
just to name a few.
The Biological or Physical Carbon Cycle
The Biological or Physical Carbon Cycle is the way carbon cycles through vegetation,
herbivores, carnivores, omnivores, soil, and in fossil fuel burning. It takes place from
days to thousands of years.
structures of organisms and carry out life processes. Carbon is the main
become useful? It may look like waste, but to some people it's green
power. Find out how California dairy farms and white tablecloth
restaurants are taking their leftover waste and transforming it into clean
energy.
Now you may not even notice but carbon is used in so many daily activities.
Some of the most important uses are:
It makes up for 18% of the human body. Sugar, glucose, proteins etc
are all made of it. The food we eat contains an important source of
energy which we call carbohydrates. Carbohydrates are nothing but
elements of carbon itself.
Conclusion
Here we have answered the question “why is carbon so important in biology?” and in
doing so, we have discovered many interesting facts about this element. The first and
most important is that we could not live if carbon did not exist. Every organic
compound is built around this essential element and we need it for life as we know it.
The presence or absence of this element determines whether something is organic or
inorganic.
Another answer for the question “why is carbon so important in biology?” is that this
element exists everywhere on earth. As the fourth most abundant element, not just on
earth, but in the universe, it will forever be a part of our existence. It is interesting to
note that more compounds exist that contain carbon than those that don’t, and this is
something for which we should be grateful.
Why is carbon so important in biology? It’s not just one, but many reasons why it’s so
important, many of which we have listed here in our article. Carbon allows us to exist
and it is in many of the things we use every day to build, create, and produce energy.
Essential for life and useful, no wonder we call it the building block of life.