What compounds make up life?

The compounds which make up life are carbohydrates, proteins, lipids and nucleic acids. The four compounds are organic in nature. They all contain carbon.

Carbohydrates are made up of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen and almost all organisms use carbohydrates as a source of energy. In addition some carbohydrates serve as structural materials.

Lipids are composed of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen atoms and include steroids, waxes and fats.

Proteins are made up of amino acids which contain carbon, hydrogen, oxygen and nitrogen atoms. Certain amino acids also have sulphur atoms, phosphorous and sometimes copper and iron trace elements.

Nucleic acids are of two types namely DNA and RNA. They are composed of smaller units called nucleotides and each nucleotide contains a carbohydrate molecule (sugar), a phosphate group and a nitrogen - containing molecule which, due to its properties, is called a nitrogenous base.