X-Message-Number: 5032 Date: Sat, 21 Oct 1995 09:43:48 -0700 From: John K Clark <> Subject: SCI.CRYONICS Elements Of Life -----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- In #5024 On 20 Oct 95 "Steven B. Harris" <> Wrote: >The number of elements necessary to life is far longer than >the ten Clark supposes Steven Harris is quite correct. I was imprecise. In my own defense I will say that I was *almost* right. Nearly 99% of all the matter in life is made from just 4 different types of atoms, 4 different building blocks. 61% of the atoms in life are hydrogen, 27% are oxygen, 8% are carbon, and 2.5% are nitrogen. The other elements involved in life are found in trace amounts. It's interesting that there is not a clear relationship between the amount of elements in the earth's crust and it's use in life. 28% of the earth is made of silicon yet it plays only a minor role in life. 4.5% is aluminum, the most common of all metals, but it is a poison and to my knowledge not used by life at all. John K Clark -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Version: 2.6.i iQCzAgUBMIkbv303wfSpid95AQERDgTw16frXdtXsWF0xlLvjyeXb+f17EAiI8HI yhC4AdnYS3eDTIzIpTh7PkVyyoZa70JDI0X4p48YsPJRBPZr7bWbBQFwlBp3x3+7 TstElvy4Yqw8NVOtHcz4jKw0N1Soqs7d4vMrhsRlA/BX66/nJKjTIPkZ2MO8R7Q8 Tvb07zbNOd9VkQTeeVIL+1kGyoKrtJ9zyeDf81upCgZnyoRKaZU= =Vsy8 -----END PGP SIGNATURE----- Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=5032