home
Menu
Create
Random
0
0
0
thumbnail

Chemical Elements Essential for Humans

Our bodies consist of chemical elements, be they building blocks or trace minerals with specific functions. What elements can't you live without?
Thumbnail: the "Victorious Youth", an ancient bronze statue found off the coast of Italy, link.
The quantities are for a human body of 70kg (154 lbs).
Source
Quiz by
PeregrineFalcon
Rate:
Last updated: April 16, 2025
You have not attempted this quiz yet.
More quiz info >>
First submittedApril 16, 2025
Times taken35
Average score73.7%
Report this quizReport
Quiz and answer stats >>
Friends stats >>
6:00
Enter answer here
0
 / 19 guessed
The quiz is paused. You have remaining.
Scoring
You scored / = %
This beats or equals % of test takers also scored 100%
The average score is
Your high score is
Your fastest time is
Keep scrolling down for answers and more stats ...
Basic organic element
45kg
oxygen
13kg
carbon
7kg
hydrogen
1.8kg
nitrogen
 
 
 
Small quantity
1.0kg
Present in the bones.
calcium
0.78kg
Connects the sugar monomers in DNA. Also a component of ATP.
phosphorus
0.14kg
Electrolyte necessary for action potential in nerves. Found in bananas.
potassium
0.14kg
Present in the amino acids cysteine and methionine.
sulfur
0.10kg
Important for maintaining electrolyte/osmotic balance. Also a flavor enhancer.
sodium
95g
Found in stomach acid.
chlorine
19g
This element (in ion form) is bound to ATP, the fuel of the cell. It's advertized by internet influencers, who claim it makes you feel more energetic.
magnesium
Trace quantity
4.2g
Component of hemoglobin, a protein present in red blood cells.
iron
2.6g
(possibly essential)
fluorine
2.3g
A transition metal present in more than 300 enzymes. It plays a role in the folding of proteins: the ___ finger is a common structural motif.
zinc
1.0g
(possibly essential)
silicon
0.32g
(possibly essential)
strontium
0.26g
(possibly essential)
bromine
72mg
Found in cytochrome c oxidase, the enzyme that performs the last step of cellular respiration. Certain invertebrates' equivalent of hemoglobin contains this element which causes their blood to be blue.
copper
20mg
(possibly essential)
tin
20mg
Used in two thyroid hormones. Deficiency of this element causes goiter, so salt is often supplemented with it.
iodine
20mg
(possibly essential)
vanadium
18mg
(possibly essential)
boron
15mg
A chalcogen, a component of the amino acid ___cysteine.
selenium
15mg
(possibly essential)
nickel
14mg
(possibly essential)
chromium
12mg
A transition metal that is a cofactor of several enzymes. It plays a role in bone formation.
manganese
7mg
(possibly essential)
arsenic
7mg
(possibly essential)
lithium
5mg
A transition metal present in four human enzymes. Also, importantly, bacteria use this element to fix nitrogen.
molybdenum
3mg
A transition metal present in vitamin B12.
cobalt
Save Your Stats
Your Next Quiz
Elements of the Periodic Table
There are 118 named elements in the Periodic Table. How many can you guess?
Speed Symbol by Element
In 3 minutes, try to type the symbol for each chemical element.
European Cities A-Z by Clue #1
Based on the clues, can you guess these European cities which start with each letter of the alphabet?
Chemical Elements with Short Names
Name the 10 elements in the periodic table whose names are 5 letters long or less.
Comments
No comments yet
Similar Quizzes by Tag
Copyright H Brothers Inc, 2008–2026
Contact Us | Go To Top | View Mobile Site | Site Map