NANP Board Practice Exam

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Prepare for the NANP Board Exam. Study with detailed questions and explanations on key topics. Enhance your understanding and boost your confidence for the exam.

Each practice test/flash card set has 50 randomly selected questions from a bank of over 500. You'll get a new set of questions each time!

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What elements are carbohydrates composed of?

Carbon, hydrogen, and nitrogen
Carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen
Hydrogen, oxygen, and fluorine
Nitrogen, oxygen, and carbon

The correct answer is: Carbon, hydrogen, and nitrogen

Carbohydrates are primarily composed of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen. This specific composition is critical because it aligns with the basic molecular formula for carbohydrates, which often can be represented as (CH₂O)ₙ, where "n" represents the number of repeating units. The presence of carbon allows carbohydrates to form the backbone of their structures, while hydrogen and oxygen typically appear in a ratio of 2:1, similar to water. This specific arrangement of elements is essential for the roles carbohydrates play in energy storage, structural integrity in plant cell walls (like cellulose), and various other biological functions. The other options provided, while listing some of the right elements (carbon and oxygen), also include elements that are not part of the composition of carbohydrates, such as nitrogen and fluorine. Hence, these combinations do not accurately represent the fundamental building blocks of carbohydrates.