Why is carbon so abundant in living things when oxygen is the most abundant element on earth?

carbon atoms can bond with one another to make chains and cyclic structures whereas oxygen atoms cannot form chains or cyclic structures.
carbon atoms are found in compounds that are solids at room temperature whereas oxygen atoms are found in compounds that form gases
carbon atoms have lower mass than oxygen atoms, which keeps the masses of living things within desirable limits.
carbon atoms are more stable than oxygen atoms, which allows living things to have more stable compositions.

enzyme active site and substrate specificity

enzymes bind with chemical reactants called substrates. there may be one or more substrates for each type of enzyme, depending on the particular chemical reaction. in some reactions, a single-reactant substrate is broken down into multiple products

c. earths continental crust is thicker than its lithosphere.

because, the lithosphere is the outermost layer of the earth/ 100 km thick and is defined by its machanical properties.the lithosphere contains oceanic and continental crust that varies in age and thickness across locations and geologic time. the lithosphere is the coolest layer of the earth in terms of temperature. the term lithosphere should not be confused with the use of "geosphere" which is used to indicate all of earth systems, including the atmosphere, hydrosphere   and biosphere. the surface of the earth can be divided into the continental crust and the oceanic crust.   the continental crust is made mostly of granite while the oceanic crust is made of basalt. the average thickness of the continental crust is 25 miles and the average thickness of the oceanic crust is 5 miles.   three types of rock, igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic, make up the surface of the earth. that's why 3 option is preferable.