Elements

Question 1

How many elements normally present in the human body?

Answer 1

26

Question 2

How many MAJOR, LESSER & TRACE elements in the human body?

Answer 2

MAJOR - 4
LESSER - 8
TRACE - 14

Question 3

What are the MAJOR elements in the human body?

Answer 3

• oxygen [O2]
• carbon [C]
• hydrogen[H2]
• nitrogen [N2]

Question 4

What are the LESSER elements in the human body

Answer 4

• calcium [Ca]
• phosphorus [P]
• potassium [K]
• sulfur [S]
• sodium [Na]
• chlorine [Cl]
• magnesium [Mg]

Question 5

What are the TRACE elements in the human body

Answer 5

• aluminum [Al]
• born [B]
• chromium [Cr]
• cobalt [Co]
• copper [Cu]
• fluorine [F]
• iodine [I]
• manganese [Mn]
• molybdenum [Mo]
• selenium [Se]
• silicon [Si]
• tin [Sn]
• vanadium [V]
• zince [Zn]

Question 6

What is an ORGANIC molecule?

Answer 6

carbon-containing molecule

Question 7

Oxygen

MAJOR - [O2] - 65%

Answer 7

• used to generate ATP
  e.g. water, organic molecules

ATP - adenosinetriphosphate - temporay stored energy

Question 8

Carbon

MAJOR - [C] - 18.5%

Answer 8

• forms backbone/rings of ALL organic molecules
  e.g. carbohydrates // lipids // proteins // nucleic acids

Question 9

Hydrogen

MAJOR - [H2] - 9.5%

Answer 9

• ionized form [H+] - increases pH in bodily fluids
  e.g. constituent of water // most organice molecules

Question 10

Nitrogen

MAJOR - [N2] - 3.2%

Answer 10

• component of ALL proteins & nucleic acids

Question 11

Calcium

LESSER - [Ca] - 1.5%

Answer 11

• contributes to hardness of bones/teeth
• ionized form [Ca2+] - involved in many processes
  e.g. blood clotting //hormone release // muscle contraction - etc

Question 12

Phosphorus

LESSER - [P] - 1%

Answer 12

• component in nucleic acids + ATP
• required for normal bone/tooth structure

Question 13

Potassium

LESSER - [K] - 0.35%

Answer 13

• ionized form [K+] - plentiful cation in ICF
• needed to generate action potentials

ICF - intracellular fluid

Question 14

Sulfur

LESSER - [S] - 0.25%

Answer 14

• component of some vitamins + many proteins

Question 15

Sodium

LESSER - [Na] - 0.2%

Answer 15

• ionized form [Na+] - plentiful cation in ECF
• needed to generate action potentials
• essential to maintaining water balance

ECF - extracellular fluid

Question 16

Chlorine

LESSER - [Cl] - 0.2%

Answer 16

• ionized form [Cl-] - plentiful anion in ECF
• essential to maintaining water balance

Question 17

Magnesium

LESSER - [Mg] - 0.1%

Answer 17

• ionized form [Mg2+] - needed for many enzymes

enzymes - increase the rate of chemical reactions

Question 18

IRON

LESSER - [Fe] - 0.005%

Answer 18

• ionized forms [Fe2+] [Fe3+] - are part of hemoglobin and some enzymes