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Simply Carbon
Carbon exists by itself in many different forms; it is differences in structure and the arrangement of the carbon atoms that changes the properties of these carbon forms. Substances that consist of just carbon include coal, diamonds, graphite and graphene; all of these substances have very different appearances and uses due to their different structures. For example, graphene, a layer of graphite only one layer of carbon atoms thick, is used in nanotechnology. The discoverers of graphene won the 2010 Nobel Prize for Physics.
Life
Carbon is a main constituent of amino acids, which make up proteins. These are essential building blocks in every type of life on Earth, including plants and animals. Living things on Earth are known as carbon-based lifeforms because of the importance of carbon in these proteins and in DNA, the code which dictates how all life is formed and how all living things function.
Fossil Fuels
Fossil fuels are all similar in respect to the elements they are made of; namely, carbon and hydrogen, in different ratios. It is the bonds which link the carbon atoms to each other and to the hydrogen which, when broken, provide the energy we get from fossil fuels. Therefore, carbon is an essential component which makes fossil fuels so useful as an energy source. The amount of energy released when these carbon bonds are broken is huge, which is why fossil fuels are such an efficient form of fuel.
Carbon Dioxide
Carbon dioxide is a byproduct of burning fossil fuels, which is how we release the energy from the carbon bonds. Carbon dioxide is also naturally present in the mixture of gases which makes up air, and is what plants absorb during photosynthesis to convert into energy. Photosynthesizing plants are the basis of the food chain, and without them, no other life could survive. Carbon dioxide is also implicated in climate change as it is a greenhouse gas. It forms an insulating layer in the atmosphere, contributing to the warming of the Earth.