List Two reason why carbon is so important in living things?

Answer 1

Carbon is vital to life. Carbon is a very unique element. It is a building block of life, and is incredibly versatile. Its structure enables it to forms multiple bonds and chains at low energies, and it allows for organic chemistry. What distinguishes carbon is its ability to bond with as many as four other atoms.

Carbon is also used as fuel. Any type of energy source contains carbon; for example natural gas from petrol and alcohol and oil and wax and plastic. These are characterized by hydrocarbon chains of various lengths. Also, the carbohydrate family is an important class of carbon based fuel- it includes sugar molecules and their products (ex cellulose, found in plant walls, and starch).

Answer 2

Two important aspects of carbon that is necessary for life is that it has four valence electrons and has an appropriate amount of stability and reactivity to its bonds. Also, because carbon atoms can easily bond with other carbon atoms, carbon atoms are essential in building complex molecules. Some important carbon-based compounds for animal life include carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids.