Question

which carbon - based compounds are essential to living things?

• carbohydrates, mineral salts, proteins, nucleic acids
• carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, nucleic acids
• proteins, petroleum, carbohydrates, lipids
• water, lipids, proteins, nucleic acids

Explanation:

Living things require several carbon - based compounds for various life - processes. Water is essential for many biochemical reactions, lipids are important for energy storage and cell membrane structure, proteins are involved in almost every aspect of cell function, and nucleic acids carry genetic information.

Answer:

water, lipids, proteins, nucleic acids