Question

explain how sugar molecules combine with other elements to create amino acids. Why is this an essential process for living things?

Answer 1

Combination of sugar molecules with other elements

Explanation:

A molecule of sugar is basically constructed of carbon, oxygen, and hydrogen atoms linked together as hydrocarbons. This hydrocarbon with C-C bonding facilitates sugar molecules to combine with other atoms and form larger molecules like amino acids, nucleotides etc.

Carbon provides four free valence electrons to share and form covalent bonds with other elements like oxygen, nitrogen, hydrogen etc. Carbon also can link and form long chains of such C-C covalent bond and forms carbon-containing organic compounds.

The carbon, oxygen, hydrogen in sugar molecules combine with nitrogen to form alkaloids and then with sulfur to form amino acids.

Amino acids are the building blocks of proteins which perform various functions as hormones, antibodies, pigments, structural proteins etc and are highly necessary for a living thing to grow and survive.