Beryllium is in beryl gems such as emeralds and aquamarines. Boron is used in heat-resistant glassware. Carbon is the basis of life. A single carbon atom can combine with up to four other atoms, so it can make the many complex molecules needed by living things. It is also in products made from plants and animals, such as wood, cloth, and plastic.
Pure carbon can be the soft graphite in pencils, or diamond, the hardest element.
Nitrogen makes up most of the air. Nitrogen is in many molecules in living things. It is used in fertilizer because plants can't get it out of the air. Oxygen is the part of the air we need to breathe. Fires will not burn without oxygen.