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It is amazing to realize that our incredibly complex body is made up of only a handful of building blocks. You probably already know that everything, including you, is made up of atoms and electrons, called elements. There are currently 102 known elements on this planet, each with a different number of electrons swirling around the nucleus. Hydrogen has one electron, oxygen has 8 electrons, Nobelium has 102 electrons. Atoms and their electrons bond together to make molecules and groups of molecules make different cells and billions of cells make a human.
Astonishingly, 98% of our body is composed of only four elements: hydrogen, carbon, nitrogen and oxygen (the other 2% are shared by 7 other essential elements and about 28 trace elements). These four elements (with the occasional addition of the other 2%) cling together and form five different types of molecules (also called nutrients) which are the building blocks used to grow and sustain your body. These nutrients are:
- carbohydrates (primarily to provide energy)
- fat (to build cells, grease our joints, and provide energy)
- proteins (to build our muscles, hair, blood cells, enzymes and more)
- minerals (non-organic molecules aiding the bio-chemical processes in our body)
- vitamins (organic molecules aiding bio-chemical processes in our body)
Take a look at any food package, let's say a cereal box. You will see a list of all the nutrients contained in the box as well as the energy content in calories. Compare the lists (or labels) of different kinds of food, particularly those that you like. What do you notice?
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