About 98 percent of the mass of every living organism is composed of just six elements including carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen and
- sulphur and magnesium
- magnesium and sodium
- calcium and phosphorus
- phosphorus and sulphur
Answer
(4) phosphorus and sulphur
Solution
The six major elements of living matter are C, H, O, N, P and S (often remembered as CHNOPS). They form all the major biomolecules — carbohydrates, lipids, proteins and nucleic acids — and together make up about 98% of the mass of an organism.
∵ Phosphorus is present in nucleic acids, ATP and phospholipids, and sulphur in the amino acids cysteine and methionine ⇒ the remaining two elements are phosphorus and sulphur.
Answer: (4)