Carbon atoms in animals?

Question

Animals eat plants and some animals eat other animals. What special compounds in the body of an animal contain the carbon atoms from the plants?

Answer 1

Everything that is eaten is digested. Plants, animals contain carbohydrates, fats and proteins. These all contain carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen. The proteins have nitrogen also. It is all mixed up and reused for the animal. Where ever carbon is needed it is put down from what ever sources the animal chose.

Answer 2

Locking down carbon is a function of photosynthesis which is a plant function. Animals never create anything with carbon - they always get it from plants or from other animals that in turn got it from plants.

Since just about the whole body of any animal is made of hydrocarbons then just about the whole body came, originally, from a plant.

Answer 3

Any of the organic compounds in the animal don't care where the carbon comes from. As long as the digestive tract processes it, the body will use it.

Answer 4

Nearly all of the cells are hydrocarbons and water.