Human body and Periodic Table of Elements

[jimmiejj]

Hi,

Anyone know where I can find info on each of elements and how the human body makes use of it, if at all? Effects from the elements on the human body.

Thanks for any info.

[Racoon]

Originally Posted by jimmiejj

Hi,

Anyone know where I can find info on each of elements and how the human body makes use of it, if at all? Effects from the elements on the human body.

Thanks for any info.

I learned that there are 64 elements in the Human Body.
I was doing a paper on Uranium no less..

Thats a Nutrition Question that can be easily answered by finding a book on Vitamins & Minerals...

Calcium builds bones and allows for Muscle Contraction.
for starters...

[jimmiejj]

Hi again Racoon,

Do you happen to know of a reliable source of info for that type of info?

[Racoon]

College Text Books.

I'm taking 'Nutritional Chemistry' next semester....

[jimmiejj]

Thanks Racoon, I'll contact the Uni and see what they have.

I didn't have too much luck on the net, believe it or not.

[CraigD]

Originally Posted by jimmiejj

Anyone know where I can find info on each of elements and how the human body makes use of it, if at all? Effects from the elements on the human body.

The chemical composition of the human body is well documented many places. A google search for “composition of human body” gives this table.

The precise role of each element in human metabolism is complicated, and not fully known. I think an introductory physiology textbook would be your best reference, but there are some online references, such as the wikipedia entries for physiology and metabolism.

Although there are a lot of elements involved in the body, the major ones are carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, calcium, phosphorous, and iron. Protein and fat is made of C H O and N only, while bone adds Ca and P. Hemoglobin, an important oxygen transport molecule, adds Fe, while ATP, important in metabolism, adds P.

There’s much more, but this about covers the basics.

[jimmiejj]

Thanks CraigD. Clearly I didn't search for "composition".

[Racoon]

Right.
Water is 70% of your body.
You're more than half way there already.

[InfiniteNow]

It's important to note too that with each passing moment, cells are dying and new ones being created. The composition of "me" is an every changing and dynamic quality/quantity. While percentages will help to get a better idea of "rough estimates" of composition, they will be in a constant state of flux.