Which type of molecule contains carbon, oxygen, hydrogen, and nitrogen?

The correct response indicates that all listed types of molecules—carbohydrates, proteins, and nucleic acids—contain carbon, oxygen, hydrogen, and nitrogen.

Carbohydrates primarily consist of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen, usually in a ratio of 1:2:1, making them essential energy sources in biological systems. However, while nitrogen is not a component of most carbohydrates, some carbohydrate derivatives or modified carbohydrates may incorporate nitrogen.

Proteins are composed of amino acids, which contain carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen. The presence of nitrogen is a distinctive characteristic that differentiates proteins from carbohydrates and lipids.

Nucleic acids, such as DNA and RNA, have a structure that includes carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, and phosphorus. The nitrogen is particularly found in the nitrogenous bases that are integral to the structure of nucleotides.

Thus, the selection of "all of the above" acknowledges that, while not every carbohydrate may include nitrogen, proteins and nucleic acids definitively do, and the overarching category of organic molecules consistently encompasses these elements across various forms. This is particularly relevant in the context of biochemistry and molecular biology, where the consideration of elemental composition is vital for understanding how these molecules function in