biology

Carbon's ability to form strong covalent bonds in various configurations gives it the ability to build complex molecules and participate in a variety of biochemical processes. Straight chain, branched chain, and cyclic molecules can be formed, allowing for the diverse range of functions that carbon-based molecules have within cells. For example, the straight chain of a saturated fatty acid is important for energy storage, branched chains like glucose are fundamental carbohydrate molecules, and the cyclic form of DNA and RNA provide the genetic coding of life. Carbon's diverse and dynamic covalent bonding capability is thus of great importance in the life processes that occur within the cell and in the global environment.