Question

Investigate four substances containing nitrogen or phosphorous that are related to biological processes, and explain their respective roles in those processes. (Examples: DNA, RNA, amino acids, and enzymes).

Answer 1

QUESTION: this for the other version.. " Investigate substances containing carbon or oxygen that relate to biological processes. Explain their main function in those processes. "

ANSWER: I chose to investigate four substances: carbon dioxide, ethanol, glucose, and cellulose. According to my research, these are the main functions of these substances in various biological processes:

Carbon dioxide: Carbon dioxide is a product of aerobic respiration. Most living organisms exhale carbon dioxide while plants inhale it in the respiratory process. Carbon dioxide is converted to organic matter in the process of photosynthesis carried out by autotrophs.

Ethanol: The process of fermentation gives rise to ethanol, which is an alcohol. Ethanol is formed through a type of anaerobic respiration, that is, respiration without the use of oxygen.

Glucose: Glucose is a form of carbohydrate. It is nothing but simple sugar that stores energy in plants and animals.

Cellulose: Cellulose is an organic polymer used to make cell walls in plants.

EXPLANTATION: EDMENTUM / PLATO

Answer 2

Answer:

Well, you already have the answer, but I can try to elaborate XD

So, DNA: contains genetic information that is necessary for biological functioning and reproduction.

More specifically, it contains the genetic instructions through gene encoding that instructs the cell what to do. A specialized complex ribosome interacts with the DNA molecules and "reads" it, changing the genes from the DNA into proteins that the cell as a whole can function upon. It is also crucial to forming a whole cell in offspring, since only the genes from the two parents combined (in humans at least) can produce an offspring with all genes intact. Those who do not have genetic disorders, a famous one being Down Syndrome.

Next, RNA: a molecule necessary for expressing genes and making proteins.

Connecting to the paragraph above for DNA, RNA also assists in the process by reading the ribosome that reads the DNA itself. Complicated, I know. All you have to know, however, is that the RNA, in this case called mRNA since it serves as a messenger, hence, the "m", reads the codons produced by the ribosome when it reads the DNA, and makes proteins according to those codons, and those proteins then scatter all across the cell to execute instructions.

Now, we move onto nitrogen and phosphorous: both are found in amino acids, the building blocks of proteins.

That is actually partially wrong. Amino acids do not contain phosphorous, but do contain nitrogen. Not exactly sure what went wrong on your end there, but nitrogen is a basic building block for amino acids, which are basic building blocks themselves for proteins. To be more clear, amino acids are made of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen and nitrogen atoms. No phosphorus there!

Finally, enzymes: special proteins that accelerate chemical reactions in cells.

This is correct. Enzymes typically lower the activation energy required for reactions to happen. More specifically, enzymes make the reaction molecules more active, hence, lowering the threshold for the amount of energy you have to put in before the molecules start crashing into each other hard enough to have a chemical reaction. Of course, enzymes do not participate in the reaction itself, which makes them incredibly useful for spurring on chemical reactions since they can be used multiple times.

Explanation:

Hope this helped!