Final answer:
The four main groups of organic compounds in living things are carbohydrates, proteins, lipids, and nucleic acids, each playing a vital role in energy supply, structural support, metabolic reactions, and genetic information storage.
Step-by-step explanation:
The four major classes of organic compounds essential for life processes in living things are:
Carbohydrates serve as a primary source of energy and structural components. Monomers, such as glucose, are the building blocks for carbohydrate polymers like starch and glycogen.
Proteins, composed of amino acid monomers, perform a vast array of functions including catalysis of metabolic reactions, DNA replication, and transport of molecules.
Lipids are a diverse group of hydrophobic molecules. Fats, oils, waxes, and steroids are examples of lipids that serve as energy storage and constitute cellular membranes.
Nucleic Acids, such as DNA and RNA, are polymers made of nucleotide monomers and are essential for storing and transmitting genetic information.