Why aren't carbohydrates, lipids, and proteins found in the same proportions?

Question

What are the proportions of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen in

(a) carbohydrates

(b) lipids

(c) proteins

Why aren't carbohydrates, lipids, and proteins found in the same proportions?

Answer 1

Carbohydrates consist of the elements carbon (C), hydrogen (H) and oxygen (O) with a ratio of hydrogen twice that of carbon and oxygen. Carbohydrates include sugars, starches, cellulose and many other compounds found in living organisms.

Lipids are organic compounds that contain the same elements as carbohydrates: carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen. However, the hydrogen-to-oxygen ratio is always greater than 2:1.

It varies in many proteins.

They aren't found in the same proportions because they are very different molecules with very different purposes. I don't really know how to explain it any more than that...Lipids are mainly for storing energy, Carbs are mainly for immediate energy use, and Proteins are mainly used as building blocks for hair, skin, fingernails, bone, etc etc.