Which of the following elements is NOT a component of amino acids?

Amino acids, the building blocks of proteins, are composed of several key elements. Each amino acid contains carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen as fundamental components. Additionally, amino acids have nitrogen, which is critical for the formation of the amino group (-NH2) that characterizes them.

Phosphorus, while an essential element found in nucleic acids and energy molecules like ATP, is not a constituent of amino acids. Therefore, the presence of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen in every amino acid confirms that phosphorus does not belong in the group of elements that make up amino acids. This distinction underlines the unique role of each element in biological molecules.