Body composition may be analyzed in various ways. This can be done in terms of the chemical elements present, or by molecular structure e.g., water, protein, fats (or lipids), hydroxyapatite (in bones), carbohydrates (such as glycogen and glucose) and DNA. In terms of tissue type, the body may be analyzed into water, fat, connective tissue, muscle, bone, etc. In terms of cell type, the body contains hundreds of different types of cells, but notably, the largest number of cells contained in a human body (though not the largest mass of cells) are not human cells, but bacteria residing in the normal human gastrointestinal tract.
Element | Symbol | percent mass | percent atoms | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Oxygen | O | 65.0 | 24.0 | |
Carbon | C | 18.5 | 12.0 | |
Hydrogen | H | 9.5 | 62.0 | |
Nitrogen | N | 2.6 | 1.1 | |
Calcium | Ca | 1.3 | 0.22 | |
Phosphorus | P | 0.6 | 0.22 | |
Sulfur | S | 0.3 | 0.038 | |
Potassium | K | 0.2 | 0.03 | |
Sodium | Na | 0.2 | 0.037 | |
Chlorine | Cl | 0.2 | 0.024 | |
Magnesium | Mg | 0.1 | 0.015 | |
All others | < 0.1 | < 0.3 |
About 99% of the mass of the human body is made up of six elements: oxygen, carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, calcium, and phosphorus. Only about 0.85% is composed of another five elements: potassium, sulfur, sodium, chlorine, and magnesium. All 11 are necessary for life. The remaining elements are trace elements, of which more than a dozen are thought on the basis of good evidence to be necessary for life. [1] All of the mass of the trace elements put together (less than 10 grams for a human body) do not add up to the body mass of magnesium, the least common of the 11 non-trace elements.
Not all elements which are found in the human body in trace quantities play a role in life. Some of these elements are thought to be simple common contaminants without function (examples: caesium, titanium), while many others are thought to be active toxins, depending on amount (cadmium, mercury, lead, radioactives). In humans, arsenic is toxic, and its levels in foods and dietary supplements are closely monitored to reduce or eliminate its intake. [2]
Some elements (silicon, boron, nickel, vanadium) are probably needed by mammals also, but in far smaller doses. Bromine is used by some (though not all) bacteria, fungi, diatoms, and seaweeds, and opportunistically in eosinophils in humans. One study has indicated bromine to be necessary to collagen IV synthesis in humans. [3] Fluorine is used by a number of plants to manufacture toxins but in humans its only known function is as a local topical hardening agent in tooth enamel. [4]
The average 70 kg (150 lb) adult human body contains approximately 7×1027 atoms and contains at least detectable traces of 60 chemical elements. [5] About 29 of these elements are thought to play an active positive role in life and health in humans. [6]
The relative amounts of each element vary by individual, mainly due to differences in the proportion of fat, muscle and bone in their body. Persons with more fat will have a higher proportion of carbon and a lower proportion of most other elements (the proportion of hydrogen will be about the same). The numbers in the table are averages of different numbers reported by different references.
The adult human body averages ~53% water. [7] This varies substantially by age, sex, and adiposity. In a large sample of adults of all ages and both sexes, the figure for water fraction by weight was found to be 48 ±6% for females and 58 ±8% water for males. [8] Water is ~11% hydrogen by mass but ~67% hydrogen by atomic percent, and these numbers along with the complementary % numbers for oxygen in water, are the largest contributors to overall mass and atomic composition figures. Because of water content, the human body contains more oxygen by mass than any other element, but more hydrogen by atom-fraction than any element.
The elements listed below as "Essential in humans" are those listed by the US Food and Drug Administration as essential nutrients, [9] as well as six additional elements: oxygen, carbon, hydrogen, and nitrogen (the fundamental building blocks of life on Earth), sulfur (essential to all cells) and cobalt (a necessary component of vitamin B12). Elements listed as "Possibly" or "Probably" essential are those cited by the US National Research Council as beneficial to human health and possibly or probably essential. [10]
Atomic number | Element | Fraction of mass [11] [12] [13] [14] [15] [16] | Mass (kg) [17] | Atomic percent | Essential in humans [18] | Negative effects of excess | Group |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
8 | Oxygen | 0.65 | 45 | 24 | Yes (e.g. water, electron acceptor) [19] | Reactive oxygen species | 16 |
6 | Carbon | 0.18 | 13 | 12 | Yes [19] (organic compounds) | 14 | |
1 | Hydrogen | 0.10 | 7 | 62 | Yes [19] (e.g. water) | Acidosis | 1 |
7 | Nitrogen | 0.02–0.03 | 1.8 | 1.1 | Yes [19] (e.g. DNA and amino acids) | 15 | |
20 | Calcium | 0.011–0.015 | 1.0 | 0.22 | Yes [19] [20] [21] (e.g. Calmodulin and Hydroxylapatite in bones) | Hypercalcaemia | 2 |
15 | Phosphorus | 5–7×10−3 [22] | 0.78 | 0.22 | Yes [19] [20] [21] (e.g. DNA, Phospholipids and Phosphorylation) | Hyperphosphatemia | 15 |
19 | Potassium | 1.5–2×10−3 [23] | 0.14 | 0.033 | Yes [19] [20] (e.g. Na+/K+-ATPase) | Hyperkalemia | 1 |
16 | Sulfur | 2.5×10−3 | 0.14 | 0.038 | Yes [19] (e.g. Cysteine, Methionine, Biotin, Thiamine) | Sulfhemoglobinemia | 16 |
11 | Sodium | 1.5×10−3 | 0.10 | 0.037 | Yes [20] (e.g. Na+/K+-ATPase) | Hypernatremia | 1 |
17 | Chlorine | 1.5×10−3 | 0.095 | 0.024 | Yes [20] [21] (e.g. Cl-transporting ATPase) | Hyperchloremia | 17 |
12 | Magnesium | 500×10−6 | 0.019 | 0.0070 | Yes [20] [21] (e.g. binding to ATP and other nucleotides) | Hypermagnesemia | 2 |
26 | Iron* | 60×10−6 | 0.0042 | 0.00067 | Yes [20] [21] (e.g. Hemoglobin, Cytochromes) | Iron overload | 8 |
9 | Fluorine | 37×10−6 | 0.0026 | 0.0012 | Yes (AUS, NZ), [24] No (US, EU), [25] [26] Maybe (WHO) [27] | Fluorine: Highly toxic Fluoride: Toxic in high amounts | 17 |
30 | Zinc | 32×10−6 | 0.0023 | 0.00031 | Yes [20] [21] (e.g. Zinc finger proteins) | Zinc toxicity | 12 |
14 | Silicon | 20×10−6 | 0.0010 | 0.0058 | Probably [28] | 14 | |
31 | Gallium | 4.9×10−6 | 0.0007 | 0.00093 | No | Gallium halide poisoning [29] | 13 |
37 | Rubidium | 4.6×10−6 | 0.00068 | 0.000033 | No | Potassium replacement | 1 |
38 | Strontium | 4.6×10−6 | 0.00032 | 0.000033 | No | Calcium replacement | 2 |
35 | Bromine | 2.9×10−6 | 0.00026 | 0.000030 | Maybe [30] | Bromism | 17 |
82 | Lead | 1.7×10−6 | 0.00012 | 0.0000045 | No | Lead poisoning | 14 |
29 | Copper | 1×10−6 | 0.000072 | 0.0000104 | Yes [20] [21] (e.g. copper proteins) | Copper toxicity | 11 |
13 | Aluminium | 870×10−9 | 0.000060 | 0.000015 | No | Aluminium poisoning | 13 |
48 | Cadmium | 720×10−9 | 0.000050 | 0.0000045 | No | Cadmium poisoning | 12 |
58 | Cerium | 570×10−9 | 0.000040 | No | |||
56 | Barium | 310×10−9 | 0.000022 | 0.0000012 | No | toxic in higher amounts | 2 |
50 | Tin | 240×10−9 | 0.000020 | 6.0×10−7 | Maybe [1] | 14 | |
53 | Iodine | 160×10−9 | 0.000020 | 7.5×10−7 | Yes [20] [21] (e.g. thyroxine, triiodothyronine) | Iodine-induced hyperthyroidism | 17 |
22 | Titanium | 130×10−9 | 0.000020 | No | 4 | ||
5 | Boron | 690×10−9 | 0.000018 | 0.0000030 | Probably [10] [31] | 13 | |
34 | Selenium | 190×10−9 | 0.000015 | 4.5×10−8 | Yes [20] [21] (e.g. selenocysteine) | Selenium toxicity | 16 |
28 | Nickel | 140×10−9 | 0.000015 | 0.0000015 | Maybe [1] | Nickel Toxicity | 10 |
24 | Chromium | 24×10−9 | 0.000014 | 8.9×10−8 | Maybe [1] [20] [21] | 6 | |
25 | Manganese | 170×10−9 | 0.000012 | 0.0000015 | Yes [20] [21] (e.g. Mn-SOD) | Manganism | 7 |
33 | Arsenic | 260×10−9 | 0.000007 | 8.9×10−8 | Maybe [1] [2] | Arsenic poisoning | 15 |
3 | Lithium | 31×10−9 | 0.000007 | 0.0000015 | Possibly (intercorrelated with the functions of several enzymes, hormones and vitamins) | Lithium toxicity | 1 |
80 | Mercury | 190×10−9 | 0.000006 | 8.9×10−8 | No | Mercury poisoning | 12 |
55 | Caesium | 21×10−9 | 0.000006 | 1.0×10−7 | No | 1 | |
42 | Molybdenum | 130×10−9 | 0.000005 | 4.5×10−8 | Yes [20] [21] (e.g. the molybdenum oxotransferases, Xanthine oxidase and Sulfite oxidase) | 6 | |
32 | Germanium | 5×10−6 | No | 14 | |||
27 | Cobalt | 21×10−9 | 0.000003 | 3.0×10−7 | Yes (e.g. Cobalamin/Vitamin B12) [32] [33] | 9 | |
44 | Ruthenium | 22×10−9 | 0.000007 | No [34] | 8 | ||
51 | Antimony | 110×10−9 | 0.000002 | No | toxic | 15 | |
47 | Silver | 10×10−9 | 0.000002 | No | 11 | ||
41 | Niobium | 1600×10−9 | 0.0000015 | No | 5 | ||
40 | Zirconium | 6×10−9 | 0.000001 | 3.0×10−7 | No | 4 | |
57 | Lanthanum | 1370×10−9 | 8×10−7 | No | |||
52 | Tellurium | 120×10−9 | 7×10−7 | No | 16 | ||
39 | Yttrium | 6×10−7 | No | 3 | |||
83 | Bismuth | 5×10−7 | No | 15 | |||
81 | Thallium | 5×10−7 | No | highly toxic | 13 | ||
49 | Indium | 4×10−7 | No | 13 | |||
79 | Gold | 3×10−9 | 2×10−7 | 3.0×10−7 | No | uncoated nanoparticles possibly genotoxic [35] [36] [37] | 11 |
21 | Scandium | 2×10−7 | No | 3 | |||
73 | Tantalum | 2×10−7 | No | 5 | |||
23 | Vanadium | 260×10−9 | 0.000020 | 1.2×10−8 | Possibly [10] (suggested osteo-metabolism (bone) growth factor) | 5 | |
90 | Thorium | 1×10−7 | No | toxic, radioactive | |||
92 | Uranium | 1×10−7 | 3.0×10−9 | No | toxic, radioactive | ||
62 | Samarium | 5.0×10−8 | No | ||||
74 | Tungsten | 2.0×10−8 | No | 6 | |||
4 | Beryllium | 3.6×10−8 | 4.5×10−8 | No | toxic in higher amounts | 2 | |
88 | Radium | 3×10−14 | 1×10−17 | No | toxic, radioactive | 2 | |
2 | Helium | 20.39×10−21 | 2.4×10−14 | 1×10−17 | No | noble gas | 18 |
10 | Neon | 8.5×10−23 | 1×10−14 | 1×10−17 | No | noble gas | 18 |
18 | Argon | 4.25×10−23 | 0.5×10−14 | 1×10−17 | No | noble gas | 18 |
36 | Krypton | 2.125×10−23 | 0.25×10−14 | 1×10−17 | No | noble gas | 18 |
*Iron = ~3 g in males, ~2.3 g in females
Of the 94 naturally occurring chemical elements, 61 are listed in the table above. Of the remaining 33, it is not known how many occur in the human body.
Most of the elements needed for life are relatively common in the Earth's crust. Aluminium, the third most common element in the Earth's crust (after oxygen and silicon), serves no function in living cells, but is toxic in large amounts, depending on its physical and chemical forms and magnitude, duration, frequency of exposure, and how it was absorbed by the human body. [38] Transferrins can bind aluminium. [39]
Essential elements for higher organisms (eucarya). [40] [41] [42] [43] [44] [45] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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H | He | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Li | Be | B | C | N | O | F | Ne | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Na | Mg | Al | Si | P | S | Cl | Ar | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
K | Ca | Sc | Ti | V | Cr | Mn | Fe | Co | Ni | Cu | Zn | Ga | Ge | As | Se | Br | Kr | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Rb | Sr | Y | Zr | Nb | Mo | Tc | Ru | Rh | Pd | Ag | Cd | In | Sn | Sb | Te | I | Xe | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Cs | Ba | Lu | Hf | Ta | W | Re | Os | Ir | Pt | Au | Hg | Tl | Pb | Bi | Po | At | Rn |
Legend: Quantity elements Essentiality or function debated Not essential in humans, but essential/beneficial for some non-human eucarya |
The composition of the human body can be classified as follows:
The estimated contents of a typical 20-micrometre human cell is as follows: [46]
Compound type | Percent of mass | Mol. weight (daltons) | Compound | Percent of molecules |
---|---|---|---|---|
Water | 65 | 18 | 1.74×1014 | 98.73 |
Other inorganics | 1.5 | N/A | 1.31×1012 | 0.74 |
Lipids | 12 | N/A | 8.4×1011 | 0.475 |
Other organics | 0.4 | N/A | 7.7×1010 | 0.044 |
Protein | 20 | N/A | 1.9×1010 | 0.011 |
RNA | 1.0 | N/A | 5×107 | 3×10−5 |
DNA | 0.1 | 1×1011 | 46 | 3×10−11 |
Cell type | % mass | % cell count | |
---|---|---|---|
Erythrocytes (red blood cells) | 4.2 | 85.0 | |
Muscle cells | 28.6 | 0.001 | |
Adipocytes (fat cells) | 18.6 | 0.2 | |
Other cells | 14.3 | 14.8 | |
Extracellular components | 34.3 | - |
Body composition can also be expressed in terms of various types of material, such as:
There are many species of bacteria and other microorganisms that live on or inside the healthy human body. In fact, there are roughly as many microbial as human cells in the human body by number. [47] [50] [51] [52] [53] (much less by mass or volume). Some of these symbionts are necessary for our health. Those that neither help nor harm humans are called commensal organisms.
Calcium is a chemical element; it has symbol Ca and atomic number 20. As an alkaline earth metal, calcium is a reactive metal that forms a dark oxide-nitride layer when exposed to air. Its physical and chemical properties are most similar to its heavier homologues strontium and barium. It is the fifth most abundant element in Earth's crust, and the third most abundant metal, after iron and aluminium. The most common calcium compound on Earth is calcium carbonate, found in limestone and the fossilised remnants of early sea life; gypsum, anhydrite, fluorite, and apatite are also sources of calcium. The name derives from Latin calx "lime", which was obtained from heating limestone.
Chromium is a chemical element; it has symbol Cr and atomic number 24. It is the first element in group 6. It is a steely-grey, lustrous, hard, and brittle transition metal.
In nutrition, biology, and chemistry, fat usually means any ester of fatty acids, or a mixture of such compounds, most commonly those that occur in living beings or in food.
Iodine is a chemical element; it has symbol I and atomic number 53. The heaviest of the stable halogens, it exists at standard conditions as a semi-lustrous, non-metallic solid that melts to form a deep violet liquid at 114 °C (237 °F), and boils to a violet gas at 184 °C (363 °F). The element was discovered by the French chemist Bernard Courtois in 1811 and was named two years later by Joseph Louis Gay-Lussac, after the Ancient Greek Ιώδης, meaning 'violet'.
Selenium is a chemical element; it has the symbol Se and atomic number 34. It has various physical appearances, including a brick-red powder, a vitreous black solid, and a grey metallic-looking form. It seldom occurs in this elemental state or as pure ore compounds in Earth's crust. Selenium was discovered in 1817 by Jöns Jacob Berzelius, who noted the similarity of the new element to the previously discovered tellurium.
Dietary fiber or roughage is the portion of plant-derived food that cannot be completely broken down by human digestive enzymes. Dietary fibers are diverse in chemical composition and can be grouped generally by their solubility, viscosity and fermentability which affect how fibers are processed in the body. Dietary fiber has two main subtypes: soluble fiber and insoluble fiber which are components of plant-based foods such as legumes, whole grains, cereals, vegetables, fruits, and nuts or seeds. A diet high in regular fiber consumption is generally associated with supporting health and lowering the risk of several diseases. Dietary fiber consists of non-starch polysaccharides and other plant components such as cellulose, resistant starch, resistant dextrins, inulin, lignins, chitins, pectins, beta-glucans, and oligosaccharides.
A nutrient is a substance used by an organism to survive, grow and reproduce. The requirement for dietary nutrient intake applies to animals, plants, fungi and protists. Nutrients can be incorporated into cells for metabolic purposes or excreted by cells to create non-cellular structures such as hair, scales, feathers, or exoskeletons. Some nutrients can be metabolically converted into smaller molecules in the process of releasing energy such as for carbohydrates, lipids, proteins and fermentation products leading to end-products of water and carbon dioxide. All organisms require water. Essential nutrients for animals are the energy sources, some of the amino acids that are combined to create proteins, a subset of fatty acids, vitamins and certain minerals. Plants require more diverse minerals absorbed through roots, plus carbon dioxide and oxygen absorbed through leaves. Fungi live on dead or living organic matter and meet nutrient needs from their host.
Human nutrition deals with the provision of essential nutrients in food that are necessary to support human life and good health. Poor nutrition is a chronic problem often linked to poverty, food security, or a poor understanding of nutritional requirements. Malnutrition and its consequences are large contributors to deaths, physical deformities, and disabilities worldwide. Good nutrition is necessary for children to grow physically and mentally, and for normal human biological development.
Essential fatty acids, or EFAs, are fatty acids that are required by humans and other animals for normal physiological function that cannot be synthesized in the body. As they are not synthesized in the body, the essential fatty acids – alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) and linoleic acid – must be obtained from food or from a dietary supplement. Essential fatty acids are needed for various cellular metabolic processes and for the maintenance and function of tissues and organs. These fatty acids also are precursors to vitamins, cofactors, and derivatives, including prostaglandins, leukotrienes, thromboxanes, lipoxins, and others.
Choline is a cation with the chemical formula [(CH3)3NCH2CH2OH]+. Choline forms various salts, such as choline chloride and choline bitartrate. It is an essential nutrient for humans and many other animals, and is a structural part of phospholipids and cell membranes.
A trace element is a chemical element of a minute quantity, a trace amount, especially used in referring to a micronutrient, but is also used to refer to minor elements in the composition of a rock, or other chemical substance.
In the context of nutrition, a mineral is a chemical element. Some "minerals" are essential for life, but most are not. Minerals are one of the four groups of essential nutrients; the others are vitamins, essential fatty acids, and essential amino acids. The five major minerals in the human body are calcium, phosphorus, potassium, sodium, and magnesium. The remaining minerals are called "trace elements". The generally accepted trace elements are iron, chlorine, cobalt, copper, zinc, manganese, molybdenum, iodine, selenium, and bromine; there is some evidence that there may be more.
Trace metals are the metals subset of trace elements; that is, metals normally present in small but measurable amounts in animal and plant cells and tissues. Some of these trace metals are a necessary part of nutrition and physiology. Some biometals are trace metals. Ingestion of, or exposure to, excessive quantities can be toxic. However, insufficient plasma or tissue levels of certain trace metals can cause pathology, as is the case with iron.
Calcium ions (Ca2+) contribute to the physiology and biochemistry of organisms' cells. They play an important role in signal transduction pathways, where they act as a second messenger, in neurotransmitter release from neurons, in contraction of all muscle cell types, and in fertilization. Many enzymes require calcium ions as a cofactor, including several of the coagulation factors. Extracellular calcium is also important for maintaining the potential difference across excitable cell membranes, as well as proper bone formation.
The abundance of the chemical elements is a measure of the occurrences of the chemical elements relative to all other elements in a given environment. Abundance is measured in one of three ways: by mass fraction, by mole fraction, or by volume fraction. Volume fraction is a common abundance measure in mixed gases such as planetary atmospheres, and is similar in value to molecular mole fraction for gas mixtures at relatively low densities and pressures, and ideal gas mixtures. Most abundance values in this article are given as mass fractions.
Tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA) is a brominated flame retardant. The compound is a white solid, although commercial samples appear yellow. It is one of the most common flame retardants.
Manganese is an essential biological element in all organisms. It is used in many enzymes and proteins. It is essential in plants.
Copper is an essential trace element that is vital to the health of all living things. In humans, copper is essential to the proper functioning of organs and metabolic processes. Also, in humans, copper helps maintain the nervous system, immune system, brain development, and activates genes, as well as assisting in the production of connective tissues, blood vessels, and energy. The human body has complex homeostatic mechanisms which attempt to ensure a constant supply of available copper, while eliminating excess copper whenever this occurs. However, like all essential elements and nutrients, too much or too little nutritional ingestion of copper can result in a corresponding condition of copper excess or deficiency in the body, each of which has its own unique set of adverse health effects.
Selenium is an essential micronutrient for animals, though it is toxic in large doses. In plants, it sometimes occurs in toxic amounts as forage, e.g. locoweed. Selenium is a component of the amino acids selenocysteine and selenomethionine. In humans, selenium is a trace element nutrient that functions as cofactor for glutathione peroxidases and certain forms of thioredoxin reductase. Selenium-containing proteins are produced from inorganic selenium via the intermediacy of selenophosphate (PSeO33−).
A large fraction of the chemical elements that occur naturally on the Earth's surface are essential to the structure and metabolism of living things. Four of these elements are essential to every living thing and collectively make up 99% of the mass of protoplasm. Phosphorus and sulfur are also common essential elements, essential to the structure of nucleic acids and amino acids, respectively. Chlorine, potassium, magnesium, calcium and phosphorus have important roles due to their ready ionization and utility in regulating membrane activity and osmotic potential. The remaining elements found in living things are primarily metals that play a role in determining protein structure. Examples include iron, essential to hemoglobin; and magnesium, essential to chlorophyll. Some elements are essential only to certain taxonomic groups of organisms, particularly the prokaryotes. For instance, the lanthanide series rare earths are essential for methanogens. As shown in the following table, there is strong evidence that 19 of the elements are essential to all living things, and another 17 are essential to some taxonomic groups. Of these 17, most have not been extensively studied, and their biological importance may be greater than currently supposed.