Question

Is the carbon to nitrogen ratios in trees significantly different from the ratio in a healthy adult human? Provide an explanation of why differences may exist based on how nitrogen is used in molecular structures.

Answer 1

In trees there is more of cellulose, a carbon containing compound devoid of any nitrogen, which makes the carbon to nitrogen ratio very high in case of trees (due to very high percentage of carbon). On the other hand in humans, nitrogen is chiefly used in the synthesis of amino acids and then to peptides and polypeptides which makes up muscle tissues among others. Thus making the carbon to nitrogen ratio widely different from that of trees due to higher percentage of nitrogen present in an adult human body.