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Multiple Choice
Which of the following lists contains the four most abundant elements found in living organisms?
A
Phosphorus, sulfur, calcium, and magnesium
B
Iron, magnesium, zinc, and copper
C
Carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen
D
Calcium, potassium, sodium, and chlorine
Verified step by step guidance
1
Step 1: Understand the context of the question. The problem is asking for the four most abundant elements found in living organisms, which are essential for biological processes and structures.
Step 2: Recall that living organisms are primarily composed of molecules like water, proteins, carbohydrates, lipids, and nucleic acids. These molecules are made up of specific elements that are most abundant in biological systems.
Step 3: Identify the key elements involved in these molecules. For example, water (H₂O) contains hydrogen and oxygen, proteins and nucleic acids contain carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen, and carbohydrates and lipids also contain carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen.
Step 4: Compare the given options to the elements that are most abundant in living organisms. The correct answer should include carbon (C), hydrogen (H), oxygen (O), and nitrogen (N), as these are the primary elements found in biological macromolecules.
Step 5: Eliminate the other options by recognizing that elements like phosphorus, sulfur, calcium, magnesium, iron, zinc, copper, potassium, sodium, and chlorine are important but not as abundant as carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen in living organisms.