Question

Carbon has four electrons in its outer shell. Why does this make it important to life?(1 point)
Responses

The outermost shell can only bond with hydrogen and other carbon atoms.
The outermost shell can only bond with hydrogen and other carbon atoms.

The outermost shell never fills making it unstable and unable to bond to other carbon molecules.
The outermost shell never fills making it unstable and unable to bond to other carbon molecules.

The outermost shell is full, making it a stable element that can bond to water.
The outermost shell is full, making it a stable element that can bond to water.

The outermost shell can form up to four covalent bonds and this allows it to form biomolecules.

Answer 1

The correct response is:

**The outermost shell can form up to four covalent bonds and this allows it to form biomolecules.**

This property of carbon enables it to serve as a versatile building block for a variety of complex organic molecules that are essential for life, including proteins, nucleic acids, carbohydrates, and lipids.