Carbon is available in many different forms: carbon dioxide, methane gas, coal, petroleum and natural gas. It is the active element of photosynthesis -- a key process for all living matter that combines water, sunlight and carbon dioxide to create usable energy, releasing unneeded oxygen as a byproduct. Genetic materials like proteins, lipids and carbohydrates, which store energy, are all carbon-based.
Historically, the term "carbon" comes from the Latin word for charcoal, carbo.
