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Nitrogen, Oxygen, Carbon and Hydrogen constitute more than 90% of the atoms in living organisms.
Moving up the Periodic Table increases electron attraction to the nucleus because of a small atomic radius. When electronegativity is below 1.5 strong covalent bonds can be formed.
N and O can also be hydrogen bond donors and acceptors so they can create weak bonds important for things such as the DNA double helix or lipids that need to form and reform.
C and N can form multiple bonds and therefore make long chains.
-Lauren Shartell
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BeauCarbon, nitrogen, oxygen and hydrogen are all found in the majority of biological molecules, with hydrogen and carbon being by far the most abundant. For example, a typical amino acid (the units that make up proteins) will contain between 2 and 11 carbon atoms, 2 and 4 oxygen atoms, 1 and 4 nitrogen atoms, and between 5 and 14 hydrogen atoms (as well as an occasional sulphur atom). A typical protein will be made of about 500 of these amino acids, but only two or three other atoms (such as iron, magnesium or molybdenum) included in the entire protein. Likewise, DNA has many carbon (~13), hydrogen (~12), nitrogen (~5) and oxygen (~6) atoms included in every nucleotide, but only one phosphorous atom per nucleotide, and nothing else. With 6.6 billion nucleotides (3.3 billion base pairs) per cell, that soon adds up. The other major component of cells, the cell membranes, is also made largely of carbon, oxygen and hydrogen, with some nitrogen. Sulphur, phosphorous and iron could be considered the next three major atoms, but are far less common.
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What does the acronym CHON stand for in science?
The acronym CHON stands for the four most abundant elements in living organisms: carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen. These elements are essential for the structure and function of biological molecules.
What does carbon have in it?
Carbon is a chemical element that is known for its ability to form strong bonds with other elements, facilitating the diversity of organic compounds found in living organisms. It has six electrons, which gives it the ability to form up to four covalent bonds with other atoms. Carbon is a fundamental building block of life and essential for the structure of all living organisms.
Because carbon has four electrons in its outer energy level it can do what?
Because carbon has four electrons in its outer energy level, it can readily form covalent bonds with other atoms, allowing it to form a wide variety of compounds. This ability to form diverse bonds is the basis for the vast array of organic molecules found in living organisms.
Which elements are found in significant amounts in living organisms?
The most abundant elements in living organisms are carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, and oxygen. These elements are essential for building organic molecules such as carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids, which are essential for life. Other elements like phosphorus and sulfur are also present in smaller but important quantities.
What does CHON stand for?
CHON stands for the four most abundant elements found in living organisms: Carbon, Hydrogen, Oxygen, and Nitrogen. These elements are essential for building the molecules necessary for life, such as proteins, carbohydrates, and nucleic acids.
