118 Elements

How is it that 4 out of the 118 elements comprise over 96% of all living organisms? It is due to their reactive nature and ability to form bonds. One might ask why or how they are so reactive with other elements. Just as anything else in the universe seeks stability, so do atoms. Each of these 4 atoms seeks stability through their electrons. For example, hydrogen has 1 electron in its valance shell and it has the ability to fill that shell with up to 2 electrons thus it seeks another atom that also has 1 electron in its valance shell to create stability. Another prime example is carbon, which has 4 electrons in its valance shell. It then seeks an atom with 4 electrons in its valance shell to create stability. These 4 elements are the
A naturally occurring element that is pertinent to the growth of organisms along with the reproduction of them, nitrogen plays an important role in the ecosystem. Ask yourself this, “If organisms were not able to reproduce, would there be any kind of species left on earth?” It’s obvious the answer is no because of the element nitrogen and here’s why. This element is found in amino acids which means that it is a basis for proteins. What proteins do is simple, they regulate the body’s tissues and organs. They also comprise the hereditary material and the blueprint of life for all cells on earth. It is clear that this element is common due to its important nature of regulating tissue and organs, as well as being essential for growth and development. Without nitrogen a white tiger would not be able to grow as large as it does or an elephant may not be able to reproduce. Nitrogen is essential to life because it is able to carry generations of life in all organisms. The presence of nitrogen in the atmosphere allows us to grow, develop, and reproduce for
Carbon has a very unique attribute which is known as “tetra valence” – this is the ability to stable bonds with other elements and also itself. The term tetra valence means that is has 4 electrons in its valence shell and it has the ability to form bonds with other elements that also have 4 electrons in their valence shell. The reason that it is so common in all organisms is because carbon has the ability to form nearly 10 million carbon based compounds in all organisms. These millions and millions of compounds can be categorized into 4 groups: carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, and nucleic acid. It is very clear that carbons ability to form many bonds is extremely pertinent to all living things because many of the compounds that carbon form are necessary for life, I’ll explain the importance of the those 4 groups of carbon types. Carbohydrates come in forms such as sugars and starches, they have the ability to provide energy to cells as well as the ability to store energy within the cells which may be used at a later time. That is why athletes “carb load” before a day of lengthy exercise, carbohydrates are stored within their cells and they are used when the individual begins to perform strenuous activity. Lipids comes in forms such as fats and oils, their function is to form cell membranes. Cell membranes have a simple job: determine what goes in and out of the cell. This is very