What type of substance is sugar?

Review for the KAMSC Honors Biology Exam. Enhance your knowledge with multiple-choice questions, flashcards, and detailed explanations to master key concepts. Prepare confidently for your semester exam!

Sugar is classified as an organic substance because it is primarily composed of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen, which are the main elements found in all organic compounds. The structure of sugar includes a carbon backbone and functional groups that define it as a carbohydrate. This classification is significant because organic compounds, like sugars, are typically associated with living organisms and are involved in various biological processes, such as energy storage and metabolism.

Inorganic substances, on the other hand, do not contain carbon-hydrogen bonds and encompass a wide range of materials, such as metals and minerals, which do not generally originate from living matter. The other options, metallic and hydraulic, do not relate to the classification of sugar, as metallic refers to the properties of metals, while hydraulic pertains to the use or movement of fluids, which is unrelated to the chemical nature of sugar. Therefore, the classification of sugar as organic is founded on its carbon-based structure and its role in living systems.

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