What type of biological macromolecule carries genetic information and is composed of elements such as carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, and phosphorus?

The correct answer is nucleic acid. Nucleic acids, which include DNA and RNA, serve as the primary carriers of genetic information in living organisms. They are composed of nucleotide monomers, each containing a sugar, a phosphate group, and a nitrogenous base. The presence of carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, and phosphorus in their structure is essential for forming the backbone and the rungs of the double helix in DNA, as well as the single-stranded structure of RNA.

Nucleic acids play crucial roles in the storage, transmission, and expression of genetic information, making them fundamentally important to the processes of heredity and protein synthesis. This distinctive role and their specific composition of elements clearly set nucleic acids apart from proteins, carbohydrates, and lipids, each of which serves different functions in biological systems.