Elements composition of the human body

Biological Role of Calcium. Calcium represents a large weight fraction of the elemental composition of the human body. Of the 1.3 kg of... 

Dahl, K., Hald, A., Jorgensen. P., Martinsen, I. and Thomassen. Y. (1990) Short and long term stability of the elemental composition of the human body fluid reference material and their use as master lots, Fresenius J. Anal. Chem. 338,526. 

Kieffer (1991) cites 37 chemical species as usually present in the elemental composition of the human body. Among them there are elements abundant in nature, such as calcium, sodium and potassium, as well as rather rare ones, such as iodine and cobalt. 

Table 1.4 shows a distribution of the major elements found in the earth s crust, the ocean water, and the human body. The composition of the human body, which is reason-... 

Use the information below to answer questions 30 and 31. The chart below shows the composition by percent of the human body with respect to various elements. 

The composition of Earth s crust and that of the human body are significantly different. The numbers represent percentages by mass in each. The elements oxygen and hydrogen are found in both, but carbon is concentrated in living things. 

The fact that foods are chemical systems is an important fundamental principle of food science. The same basic elements that form the cells and tissues of the human body are the ones that make up the majority of the foods people eat. These include carbon, oxygen, hydrogen, nitrogen, sulfur, and calcium. The chemical composition of foods and the... 

Table 1.1 Percentage Composition of Selected Elements in the Human Body...

G.V. Iyengar, W.E. Kollmer, H.J.M. Bowen, The Elemental Composition of Human Tissues and Body Fluids, Verlag Chemie, Weinheim, 1978. 

FIGURE 1.1 Estimated elemental composition (by mass percent) of (a) the earth s crust and (b) the human body. Oxygen is the most abundant element in both. Only the major constituents are shown in each case small amounts of many other elements are also present. 

Hydroxyapatite (HAP), the molecular formula of which is Ca5(P04)3(0H) or Caio(P04)6(OH)2, is the major inorganic constituent in bone, teeth, etc. in the human body. HAP has essentially the same chemical composition and crystalline structure as those of human bone and so has good bio-compatibility. For a long time, it has been widely used as a sclerotin material in setting broken bone, filling teeth, etc. [215]. In addition, HAP can also be used as a food additive and moisture-sensitive element, etc. 

If you check any food composition table, you would see that potassium and sodium are found together in every food category. Both in foods and in the human body, they are often accompanied by chloride, which is the chemically active form of the element chlorine. All the natural foods I can think of have a lot more potassium than sodium, but they all have both—and chloride. Processed foods (potato chips, breakfast cereals, roasted nuts, soft drinks, etc.) are the only foods that have more sodium than potassium, and I believe you can guess why. The manufacturers often add salt to their products. Why Table salt (sodium chloride) acts as a preservative and a flavor enhancer. Products have a longer shelf life, and, besides, the salty taste is popular and helps sell many commercial food products. Salt is, however, somewhat addictive, and excessive intakes of it complicate body chemistry and increase the risk of high blood pressure in some individuals. 

Iyengar GV, Kollmer WE, Bowen HIM. 1978. The elemental composition of human tissues and body fluids A compilation of values for adults. Weinheim, NY Verlag Chemie. 

Every time you eat a sandwich or take a breath, you are taking in elements your body needs to function normally. These elements have specific properties, depending on their location on the periodic table. Figure 1 shows the percent by mass composition of cells in the human body. 

Iyengar, G. V. "Normal Values for the Elemental Composition of Human Tissues and Body Fluids a New Look at an Old Problem," in "Trace Substances in Environmental Health - XIX" Hemphill, D. D., Ed. Univ of Missouri, Columbia, 1985, 277. 

---