Crucial Elements in Human Body: Functions & Significance

Discover the captivating truth behind an age-old saying that has captured the hearts of many. Have you ever wondered what it truly means when we say "we are all made of stardust"? It's a powerful statement that holds both emotional and scientific significance. In simple terms, it refers to the fact that dust and ash consist of a basic element called carbon, and astonishingly, so does our body.

Our bodies are primarily composed of water, an essential element for life. This life-sustaining liquid consists of two major elements: hydrogen and oxygen. It's a fascinating reminder of the fundamental components that keep us alive.

From the breathtaking oxygen that fills our lungs to the fundamental carbon forming the backbone of life, these elements serve as the invisible architects of our reality.

Join us as we unravel the interplay of these essential elements

What are Essential Elements?

Elements are essential units that are the basic constituents of all living and non-living beings. They are the core of the universe. Every tiny or huge particle comprises of elements. Our body is built up of five primary elements: Carbon, Hydrogen, Oxygen, Nitrogen, and calcium. Apart from these elements, there are some more elements that play a crucial role in the physiological system.

Have you ever wondered how your brain works or how all the messages and actions are so well coordinated and smoothly communicated? It includes the involvement of two more elements, sodium and potassium which are present in 0.14% and 0.20% of the total respectively, but your brain will never think without these two.

Our heart, the most vital organ of our body, pumps blood and the central element of blood is iron whose major function is to bond up with oxygen and circulate in the entire body to keep all the cells of the body alive. You would be amazed to know that iron constitutes only 0.01% of the body.

Could you imagine standing up or sitting down if you did not have a body frame? Calcium and phosphorus, two essential elements, though low in concentration (1.42% and 1.11% respectively), play a major role in building up our bones and teeth.

Above all, the continuity of life which is made possible by the genetic material, our DNA, itself constitutes the elements like carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen.

What are Nutritional Elements?

Amongst the three basic necessities of humans, food, clothing, and shelter, food is the major and foremost need of living beings to survive. Apart from the six major components of a diet (vitamins, proteins, carbohydrates, fats, fiber, and water), minerals are also an important component of a balanced diet. These minerals are nothing else but the elements required in trace amounts. food is the prime source of mineral uptake.

World Health Organization (WHO) recommends 13 trace or minor elements in the daily dietary menu and besides these, there are 7 major elements that should be taken up in large amounts to maintain the homeostasis of our body.

What are Toxic Elements?

Chemical substances known as toxic elements have the potential to harm living things when they are present in excessive concentrations or when exposed to them. These substances have the ability to interfere with regular physiological functions and have a number of harmful impacts on health. Some well-known hazardous substances include: