Question

Which of the following is an example of a covalent (molecular) compound that is essential to the human body?

Answer 1

Water (H2O) is an example of a covalent compound essential to the human body, along with other organic molecules like carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids that have vital roles in bodily functions.

Step-by-step explanation:

Covalent compounds are essential to the human body, and an example of a covalent compound that is vital for human life is water (H2O). Water is composed of two hydrogen atoms covalently bonded to one oxygen atom. Other organic molecules essential to human functioning include carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids, all of which involve covalent bonding, primarily involving carbon atoms. These molecules play a crucial role in various bodily functions such as energy production, cell structure, and information storage.

Carbohydrates provide energy, lipids serve in energy storage and cellular structure, proteins are critical for growth and repair, and nucleic acids like DNA and RNA are vital for storing and transmitting genetic information. The sharing of electrons in covalent bonds allows these molecules to have stable structures that are necessary for their roles in the body.

Answer 2

Let's see that in the options, carbon monoxide (CO) and lead (II) sulfide (PbS) are toxic compounds to the human body, so we have to discard these options.

Now, we have oxygen molecule (O2) and sodium chloride (NaCl), and these compounds are essential to the human body. But, NaCl is an ionic compound because there are two ions (cation and anion) combined chemically. On the other hand, we have that oxygen molecule which is two oxygens atoms that are bonded, it represents a covalent bond because they are sharing their electrons, so the answer is oxygen molecule.