Question

A key component in the formation of organic compounds, such as nucleic acids and ATP

A) carbon
B) Nitrogen
C) Phosphorus

Answer 1

Step-by-step explanation:

Most organic compounds contain Carbon, Hydrogen and Oxygen atoms in their structure.

Nucleic acids are polynucleotides, which are long chain molecules composed of series of building blocks called nucleotides. Each nucleotide consists of a nitrogen-containing base, five-carbon sugar called ribose, and a phosphate group.

Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) is a molecule capable of storing energy derived from food. It contains ribose (a five-carbon sugar) at its center, adenine (a nitrogenous base), and phosphate group (phosphorus atom attached to four oxygen atoms).

In the case of Nucleic acids and ATP; carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus are all vital components but carbon is a key component of any organic compound due to its ability to form long chains with other carbon atoms, a process known as catenation.

Answer 2

A key component in the formation of organic compounds, such as nucleic acids and ATP is phosphorous. The correct answer is C.