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What types of atoms are people "made" of?


K9-47G

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This will probably sound extremely ridiculous, but I'm wondering what elements (what types of atoms) people are composed of. I know that we consist of protein (amino acids) but when you break things down past the cellular level to the atomic level, what are we?

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Mass of each element in a 70-kg person

 

CHON makes up 97% of the mass

oxygen 43 kg 61%

carbon 16 kg 23%

hydrogen 7 kg 10%

nitrogen 1.8 kg 3%

 

Seven elements make up most of the rest:

calcium 1.0 kg 1%

phosphorus 780 g 1%

potassium1 40 g 0.2%

sulfur1 40 g 0.2%

sodium 100 g 0.1%

chlorine 95 g 0.1%

magnesium 19 g 0.03%

iron 4.2 g 0.01%

 

The following forty seven elements constitute less than 0.01% each

fluorine 2.6 g

zinc 2.3 g

silicon 1.0 g

rubidium 0.68 g

strontium 0.32 g

bromine 0.26 g

lead 0.12 g

copper 72 mg

aluminum 60 mg

cadmium 50 mg

cerium 40 mg

barium 22 mg

iodine 20 mg

tin 20 mg

titanium 20 mg

boron 18 mg

nickel 15 mg

selenium 15 mg

chromium 14 mg

manganese 12 mg

arsenic 7 mg

lithium 7 mg

cesium 6 mg

mercury 6 mg

germanium 5 mg

molybdenum 5 mg

cobalt 3 mg

antimony 2 mg

silver 2 mg

niobium 1.5 mg

zirconium 1 mg

anthanium 0.8 mg

gallium 0.7 mg

tellurium 0.7 mg

yttrium 0.6 mg

bismuth 0.5 mg

thallium 0.5 mg

indium 0.4 mg

gold 0.2 mg

scandium 0.2 mg

tantalum 0.2 mg

vanadium 0.11 mg

thorium 0.1 mg

uranium 0.1 mg

samarium 50 µg

beryllium 36 µg

tungsten 20 µg

 

Source: http://web2.iadfw.net/uthman/elements_of_body.html

[This, in turn, was based on Emsley, John, The Elements, 3rd ed., Clarendon Press, Oxford, 1998]

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protons and electrons and if i believe quantum theory we are nothing more than waves.

 

Last time I checked, protons and electrons aren't atoms. Furthermore, you also missed out neutrons, which are rather vital.

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So the question is.... If I were going to melt people down for their base elements, which element would make me the most money per person?

 

 

Hmm, i could see a work of art coming from this list.... Take the proper amounts of each element, lump them together, and call it a person. It would be a pretty neat visual.

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anthanium 0.8 mg

gallium 0.7 mg

tellurium 0.7 mg

yttrium 0.6 mg

bismuth 0.5 mg

thallium 0.5 mg

indium 0.4 mg

gold 0.2 mg

scandium 0.2 mg

tantalum 0.2 mg

vanadium 0.11 mg

thorium 0.1 mg

uranium 0.1 mg

samarium 50 µg

beryllium 36 µg

tungsten 20 µg

 

Source: http://web2.iadfw.net/uthman/elements_of_body.html

[This' date= in turn, was based on Emsley, John, The Elements, 3rd ed., Clarendon Press, Oxford, 1998]

Did I miss something????...... I'm doing a PhD in chemistry and I've never heard of the element anthanium, or is it a different name for another common element? :confused::confused:

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so wait..looking at the list

 

you can make very small nuclear bombs out of a person..right? (very small bombs)

 

Nope. You need about 20 kg or so of highly enriched Uranium (I.E. 95+% U-235) in order to have a nuclear bomb. No way in hell you could accomplish that with the miniscule amounts of uranium contained within living creatures.

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you`de have to melt down several Live8 Music concerts to get even a fraction of that. it`s just not worth the effort :)

 

as for the parts of an atom being present, the only ones I`m aware of that exist will be Electrons, they often wonder freely within our systems causing damage (Free Radicals) often the Oxygen atom is responsible for these, hence taking Anti-Oxidants such as Vit A, E and C and the mineral Sellenium, is used to combat these by absorbtion.

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