Chapter 2 Flashcards
Chemical elements
Building blocks that make up all matter
Chemistry
The science of structure and interactions of matter
Chemical symbol
Designates each element. Uses one or two letters of the elements name in English Latin or another language
Major elements
Four elements that constitute about 96% of the bodies mass: Oxygen, carbon, hydrogen, and nitrogen
How many chemical elements are normally present in the human body?
26
Lesser elements
Contribute about 3.6% to the bodies mass: Calcium, phosphorus, potassium, sulfur,sodium,chlorine, magnesium,and iron.
Trace elements
additional 14 elements that altogether Account for the remaining .4% of the body’s mass.
Oxygen
Major element
O
About 65% of body mass
Part of water and many organic molecules used to generate ATP, a molecule used by cells to temporarily store chemical energy
Carbon
C
Major element
About 18.5% of total body mass
Forms backbone chains and rings of all organic molecules; Carbohydrates, lipids, proteins and nucleic acids (DNA and RNA)
Hydrogen
H
Major element
9.5% Of total body mass
Constituent Of water and most organic molecules; ionized form (H+) Makes body fluids more acidic
Nitrogen
N
Major element
3.2% Of total body mass
Components of all proteins and nucleic acids
What are the major elements?
Oxygen
carbon
hydrogen
nitrogen
Calcium
Ca
Lesser element
About 1.5% Of total body mass
Contributes to hardness of bones and teeth; ionized form (Ca2+) Needed for blood clotting, release of some hormones, contraction of muscles and many other processes
Phosphorus
P
Lesser element
1% of total body mass
Component of nucleic acids and ATP; Required for normal bone and tooth structure.
Potassium
K
Lesser element
.35% of total body mass
Ionized form (K+) Is the most plentiful cation (Positively charged particle) in intracellular fluid; Needed to generate action potentials
Sulfur
S
Lesser element
.25% of total body mass
Component of some vitamins and many proteins
Sodium
Na
Lesser element
.2% of total body mass
Ionized form (Na+) is the most plentiful cation in extracellular fluid; Essential for maintaining water balance; needed to generate action potentials.
Chlorine
Cl
Lesser element
.2% of total body mass
Ionized form (Cl-) Is the most plentiful anion in extracellular fluid; Essential for maintaining water balance
Magnesium
Mg
Lesser element
.1% of total body mass
Ionized form (Mg2+) Needed for action of many enzymes, molecules that increase the rate of chemical reactions organisms
Iron
Fe
Lesser element
.005% of total body mass
Ionized forms (Fe2+ and Fe3+) Are part of hemoglobin
Trace elements
Lesser elements that make up about .04% of total body mass
Aluminum, boron, chromium, cobalt, copper, fluorine, iodine, Manganese, molybdenum, Selenium, silicon, tin, vanadium, and zinc
Hemoglobin
Oxygen-carrying protein in red blood cells
Cation
Positively charged particle
Anion
Negatively charged particle