Which of the following includes all the major elements of life?

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BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

To tackle the question, I start by listing the concept in question: the major elements of life. In biology, a widely accepted core set is the elements often abbreviated as CHNOPS, which stands for Carbon, Hydrogen, Nitrogen, Oxygen, Phosphorus, and Sulfur.
Option A: 'Oxygen, Carbon, Hydrogen, Phosphorus, Sodium and Sulphur' includes Oxygen, Carbon, Hydrogen, Phosphorus, and Sulfur, but it also includes Sodium and omits Nitrogen. Sodium is not considered a primary constituent of all life’s major elements, and Nitrogen is essential for proteins and nucleic acids, so this option is inaccurate.
Option B: 'Oxygen and Hydrogen' lists only two elements. While O and H are major components of water and biology, they are far from encompassing all the major elements of life. This option omits several other critical elements like carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, and sulfur.
Option C: 'Carbon, Hydrogen and Oxygen' covers three of the most common elements but excludes nitrogen, phosphorus, and sulfur. Because life requires more than just C, H, and O (notably nitrogen for amino acids, phosphorus for DNA/RNA, and sulfur for some amino acids and coenzymes), this option is incomplete.
Option D: 'Oxygen, Carbon, Hydrogen and Nitrogen' includes four key elements but leaves out phosphorus and sulfur. While this set captures major contributors, it still misses two elements essential for biological molecules and energy transfer, so it is not the full major-element list.
Option E: 'Oxygen, Carbon, Hydrogen, Nitrogen, Phosphorous and Sulphur' contains Oxygen, Carbon, Hydrogen, Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Sulfur. This matches the widely recognized CHNOPS group, acknowledging phosphorus and sulfur as vital for nucleic acids, ATP, and certain enzymes, alongside the other elements. The spelling variants (Phosphorous/Sulphur) reflect common alternate spellings, but the elemental composition is correct.
Overall, the evaluation shows that only the final option provides the complete set of major life elements, while the others fail by omitting one or more essential elements or by listing an element not universally regarded as a foundational major element in biology.

2025 T3 DP DPST1051 BLSC1342 Molecules, Cells and Genes

Which of the following includes all the major elements of life?

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