Question

Nitrogen would be found in which categories of molecules unique to organisms? (page 28 )

Short answer

Nitrogen is found in two categories of molecules unique to organisms: proteins and nucleic acids. Proteins contain nitrogen due to the presence of amino acids, while nucleic acids, like DNA and RNA, contain nitrogen in their nucleotide's nitrogenous bases.

Step-by-step solution

Recall the major types of biological macromolecules

There are four main categories of biological macromolecules found in living organisms: carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids.

Identify the categories containing nitrogen

Now, we examine each category to determine which ones have nitrogen in their structure: 1. Carbohydrates: These are composed of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen atoms. They don't contain nitrogen. 2. Lipids: These are composed mainly of carbon and hydrogen atoms, with some lipids possessing oxygen and phosphorus. Generally, lipids do not contain nitrogen. 3. Proteins: Proteins are composed of amino acids, which contain carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen. Therefore, proteins contain nitrogen. 4. Nucleic acids: These are composed of nucleotides, which contain nitrogenous bases. Nucleic acids, such as DNA and RNA, contain nitrogen in their structure.

Summarize the answer

Based on the analysis, nitrogen can be found in two categories of molecules unique to organisms: proteins and nucleic acids.