Why Life Chose Carbon Essay Example

Carbon was chosen by life because it is the second most abundant element in the human body, comprising 18% of its wet weight. Organic molecules, found mainly in living matter, are primarily carbon-based. These molecules make up the majority of molecules in all living organisms, from plants to humans. Carbon possesses four distinct characteristics, one being its capacity to form extended chains through bonding with other carbon atoms. Stable covalent carbon-carbon bonds can be formed by sharing pairs of electrons with neighboring carbon atoms.

Carbon is able to form branched chains and rings, serving as the structural basis for organic molecules. The size and shape of molecules depend on the length of the carbon chain. The diversity of molecules produced is greatly influenced by the flexibility of carbon chains. A carbon atom skeleton with no attachments has limited biological functionality. Moreover, carbon can cr