Which type of molecules are known to contain carbon and are produced in living organisms?

Organic molecules are characterized by their carbon content and are fundamental components of all living organisms. These molecules include carbohydrates, proteins, lipids, and nucleic acids, which are essential for various biological functions, such as energy storage, structural support, and genetic information transmission. The presence of carbon in these molecules allows them to form the complex structures necessary for life, enabling the diverse range of biochemical reactions that sustain biological processes.

In contrast, inorganic molecules typically do not contain carbon-hydrogen bonds; they include substances such as water, salts, and minerals, which play different roles in biological systems but do not form the basis of life’s molecular architecture. Minerals are solid inorganic substances that are naturally occurring and do not involve carbon. Gases may include simple molecular forms, such as oxygen or carbon dioxide, but they do not represent the complex structures associated with organic molecules. Thus, the defining attribute of organic molecules is their carbon content, making them essential to all living organisms.