Carbon is the element required for all known forms of life. It is found in many organic substances, including proteins, carbohydrates, lipids, and nucleic acids.
It can create strong bonds with a variety of other elements, which facilitates the formation of complex molecular structures essential to the growth, development, and functioning of living things. For instance, carbon is the building block of organic compounds that are essential for the synthesis of energy, cellular structure, and metabolic functions, such as sugars, lipids, and proteins.