AP BIOLOGY

Detailed explanation-1: -Carbon is found in all living things. Carbon atoms move constantly through living organisms, the oceans, the atmosphere, and the Earth’s crust in what is known as the carbon cycle . The directions taken by carbon atoms through this cycle are very complicated and can take millions of years to make a full circle.

Detailed explanation-2: -All life on Earth is carbon based, meaning the living things are composed of complex molecules that contain the element carbon. Carbon is an excellent starting material to make many different complex molecules because it can form four different bonds.

Detailed explanation-3: -Life on earth would not be possible without carbon. This is in part due to carbon’s ability to readily form bonds with other atoms, giving flexibility to the form and function that biomolecules can take, such as DNA and RNA, which are essential for the defining characteristics of life: growth and replication.

Detailed explanation-4: -All living organisms are made up of one or more cells, which are considered the fundamental units of life. Even unicellular organisms are complex! Inside each cell, atoms make up molecules, which make up cell organelles and structures. In multicellular organisms, similar cells form tissues.