1.
INTRODUCTION
We must take into account that the human body is organic matter, therefore it will need the
same elements of which matter is composed, which are, mainly, carbon, hydrogen, oxygen
and nitrogen. But there are also elements that make up essential parts of certain organic
molecules, such as sulfur that forms the radical of the amino acid methionine or phosphorus
that binds DNA units. In addition, there are also a series of elements of which a very small
amount is needed, but nevertheless, without that small amount, our body could not function,
called trace elements.
In this essay, a short list of the clearest ones and some of their functions are enumerated, as
well as their importance for life.
2. BIOELEMENTS
BIOELEMENTS: They are the organic components that are part of living beings. 99% of the
mass of most cells is made up of four elements, carbon (C), hydrogen (H), oxygen (O) and
nitrogen (N), which are much more abundant in living matter than in nature. Earth crust.
They are grouped into three categories: primary, secondary and trace elements.
3. ORIGIN OF BIOELEMENTS
All the stars that make up the universe are composed of the same elements and are the result
of the action of the same physical force, from which we deduce that bioelements have existed
since the origin of the world.
The origin of the bioelements does not have a specific discovery since the chemical elements
were discovered little by little in different years and by different scientists.
According to data on the origin of life, the universe was formed approximately 4,600 million
years ago, which could be said to have been the existence of bioelements ever since.
Many scientists started from the origin of the bioelements in the stars to discover how the
Universe was created. Discovery, are the seven metals of Antiquity: gold, silver, copper, iron,
lead, tin The first elements that are known , since it is not possible to speak of and mercury,
which played a very important role in the development of the first civilizations. Sulfur and
carbon were also widely used at that time.
During the Middle Ages, due mainly to the perfection of alchemists' techniques, five more
elements were discovered: phosphorus, arsenic (achievement attributed to Saint Albert the
Great), antimony, bismuth and zinc.
The discovery of the elements related to water and air: hydrogen, oxygen and nitrogen, was
the most significant event in chemistry in the second half of the 18th century. The
understanding of the nature of these elements contributed powerfully to the establishment of
some of the modern chemical notions. Among these achievements we can mention:
development of the oxidation theory (A. Lavoisier), appearance of the atomic theory (J.
Dalton), appearance of the theory of acids and bases, use of the hydrogen and oxygen scales
for the determination of relative atomic masses.
From the first half of the eighteenth century, chemistry took more and more the form of a
science. As a result of the chemical analysis of natural objects -mainly minerals-, in the period
from 1735 to 1830 more than thirty chemical elements were discovered. The best known are:
cobalt, nickel, manganese, barium, molybdenum, tungsten (discovered by the Spanish
chemists F. and J. D'Elhuyar in 1783), strontium, zirconium, uranium, titanium, chromium,
platinum (whose first description is due to the mathematician and Spanish explorer Antonio
de Ulloa in 1748), fluorine, chlorine, iodine, bromine, cadmium, lithium, silicon,
aluminum,... The chemists of this century were able, using the operational definition of
element, to select from the list of pure substances that knew a set of substances that could be
considered as elements. Such a set, proposed by the chemist
4. TYPES OF BIOELEMENTS
4.1 PRIMARY BIOELEMENTS.
They are the majority elements of living matter (carbohydrates, lipids, proteins and nucleic
acids), they constitute 95% of the total mass and are essential to form biomolecules. They
are four; carbon, hydrogen, oxygen and nitrogen (CHON). They are part of living matter due
to their physicochemical properties.
HYDROGEN: They form functional groups with other chemical elements. It is one of the
elements that make up water. It is found in the atmosphere but in smaller quantities. It is
essential in hydrocarbons and acids.
OXYGEN: It is part of the biomolecules and is an important element for respiration. It is also
an element in the formation of water, which causes combustion and produces energy for the
body. Oxygen is the most abundant chemical element in living beings. It is part of water and
all kinds of organic molecules. As a molecule, in the form of O2, its presence in the
atmosphere is due to the photosynthetic activity of primitive organisms. At first it must have
been a toxic substance for life, due to its great oxidizing power. Even now, an atmosphere of
pure oxygen causes irreparable damage to cells.
But cell metabolism adapted to using the oxygen molecule as an oxidizing agent in food, thus
opening a new way of obtaining energy much more efficient than anaerobic.
The fundamental reserve of oxygen usable by living beings is in the atmosphere. Its cycle is
closely linked to that of carbon, since the process by which carbon is assimilated by plants
(photosynthesis) also involves the return of oxygen to the atmosphere, while the respiration
process causes the opposite effect.
Another part of the oxygen cycle that is of notable indirect interest to living things on the
Earth's surface is its conversion to ozone. The O2 molecules, activated by very energetic
short-wave radiation, break into free oxygen atoms that react with other O2 molecules,
forming O3 (ozone). This reaction is reversible, so that ozone, absorbing ultraviolet radiation,
becomes O2 again.
CARBON: Has a structural function and appears in all organic molecules. It is a rare element
of nature. It is the succession of transformations that carbon undergoes over time. It is a
biogeochemical cycle of great importance for the regulation of the Earth's climate, and basic
activities for the maintenance of life are involved in it. The cycle comprises two cycles that
follow each other at different speeds.
Biological cycle: includes the exchange of carbon (CO2) between living beings and the
atmosphere, that is, photosynthesis, the process by which carbon is retained in plants and
respiration returns it to the atmosphere.
Biogeochemical cycle: regulates the transfer of carbon between the atmosphere and the
lithosphere (oceans and soil). Atmospheric CO2 easily dissolves in water, forming carbonic
acid that attacks the silicates that make up the rocks, resulting in bicarbonate ions. These ions
dissolved in water reach the sea, are assimilated by animals to form their tissues, and after
their death are deposited in sediments. The return to the atmosphere occurs in volcanic
eruptions after the melting of the rocks that contain it. This last cycle is of long duration, as
geological mechanisms are involved. In addition, there are occasions in which organic matter
is buried without contact with oxygen that decomposes it, thus producing the fermentation
that transforms it into coal, oil and natural gas.
NITROGEN: It is part of biomolecules but its presence in proteins and lipids and nucleic
acids (nitrogenous bases) stands out. It does not directly enter the body and is consumed in
food. Through nitrifying bacteria, plants provide themselves with this compound. The main
reserve of nitrogen is the atmosphere (nitrogen represents 78% of atmospheric gases). Most
living things cannot use the elemental nitrogen in the atmosphere to make amino acids or
other nitrogenous compounds, so they depend on the nitrogen that exists in mineral salts in
the soil.
Therefore, despite the abundance of nitrogen in the biosphere, often the main factor limiting
plant growth is the scarcity of nitrogen in the soil. The process by which this limited amount
of nitrogen circulates endlessly through the world of living organisms is known as the
nitrogen cycle.
4.1.1 AMMONIFICATION
Much of the nitrogen in the soil comes from the decomposition of organic matter. These
compounds are usually broken down to simple compounds by organisms that live in the soil
(bacteria and fungi). These microorganisms use the proteins and amino acids to form the
proteins they need and release excess nitrogen as ammonia (NH3) or ammonium (NH+4).
4.1.2 NITRIFICATION
Some common bacteria in soils oxidize ammonia or ammonium. Energy is released in it,
which is used by the bacteria as an energy source. A group of bacteria oxidizes ammonia (or
ammonium) to nitrite (NO-2). Other bacteria oxidize nitrite to nitrate, which is how most
nitrogen gets from the soil to the roots.
4.1.3 ASSIMILATION
Once the nitrate is inside the plant cell, it is reduced back to ammonium. This process is
called assimilation and requires energy. The ammonium ions thus formed will be enlarged to
carbon-containing compounds to produce amino acids and other nitrogenous organic
molecules needed by the plant. Nitrogenous compounds from land plants return to the soil
when the plants or animals that have consumed them die; Thus, once again, they are taken
up by the roots again as nitrate dissolved in the soil water and are converted back into organic
compounds.
4.2 SECONDARY BIOELEMENTS
They are part of all living beings and in a proportion of 4.5%. They perform vital functions
for the proper functioning of the body. They are sulfur, phosphorus, magnesium, calcium,
sodium, potassium and chlorine.
SULFUR is one of the most prominent constituents of amino acids. Sulfur is captured in the
form of substrates from the roots (on terrestrial surfaces) and through the cell wall (in aquatic
environments) by plants (terrestrial and aquatic), which become food for animals. After their
death, the sulfur returns to the soil, inducing a new sulfur cycle. In the atmosphere, nitrogen
and sulfur oxides are converted into nitric and sulfuric acids that return to the earth with
precipitation of rain or snow (acid rain). Other times, even if it is not raining, solid particles
with attached acid molecules are falling (dry deposition).
PHOSPHORUS actively participates in the energy relationships that occur within organisms,
it is part of the phospholipids of cell membranes and integrates the raw materials of bones
and teeth of living beings. The main reserve of this element is in the earth's crust. Through
the processes of weathering of the rocks or by the expulsion of volcanic ash, it is released
and can be used by plants. It is easily dragged by the waters and reaches the sea, where a
significant portion settles on the bottom and forms rocks. All of them will take millions of
years to re-emerge and gradually release phosphorus salts.
5. TRACE ELEMENTS
They are present in organisms in a vestigial form, but they are essential for the harmonious
development of the organism. They are 14 and constitute 0.5%: iron, manganese, copper,
zinc, fluorine, iodine, boron, silicon, vanadium, chromium, cobalt, selenium, molybdenum
and tin.
6. BIOELEMENTS (AND THEIR FUNCTION)
Bioelements are elements that are present in all living beings. The main function of
bioelements is to help the organism where they are found to survive. For example: carbon,
magnesium, zinc.
Each cell is composed of different biomolecules (nucleic acids, proteins, lipids,
carbohydrates, etc.). In turn, each of these biomolecules are made up of many atoms (atoms
of oxygen, nitrogen, sulfur, phosphorus, etc.).
For example, the elements that are present in the periodic table are atoms. Bioelements
represent a unit of atom. For example, an oxygen atom, a phosphorus atom, a sulfur atom,
etc.
It can help you: Simple and compound substances
6.1 CLASSIFICATION OF BIOELEMENTS
These bioelements can be classified into primary, secondary and tertiary elements or trace
elements according to the conformation of the biomolecules. That is to say the combination
of the different atoms of the molecules.
Primary bioelements. These bioelements are essential for the formation of organic
biomolecules. Some of them are carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, phosphorus, oxygen and sulfur.
These are found inside living beings as well as in the earth's atmosphere. In turn, they serve
for the elaboration of biomolecules such as carbohydrates, proteins, lipids and nucleic acids.
They constitute more than 95% of the bioelements of the organism.
Secondary bioelements. These are also present in all living things. They are fundamental
since they collaborate in different metabolic processes of the organism (nervous system,
cardiovascular system, digestive system, respiratory system, etc). Among the most common
secondary bioelements in the body are: chlorine, potassium, calcium and magnesium. The
lack of these prevents the proper functioning of living organisms.
Tertiary bioelements, trace elements or variable secondary bioelements. These occupy only
1% of the total bioelements. However, the lack of these can cause great damage to the body
as well as the abundant presence of them.
Some of the best known bioelements present in the body are iron, zinc, iodine and zinc.
6.2 EXAMPLES OF BIOELEMENTS
primary bioelements
Carbon (50%)
Oxygen (20%)
Nitrogen (14%)
Hydrogen (8%)
Phosphorus (5%)
Sulfur (3%)
secondary bioelements
Magnesium
Calcium
Iron
Manganese
Potassium
trace elements
Cobalt
Copper
Fluorine
Zinc
More in: Trace elements
6.3 EXAMPLES OF BIOELEMENTS IN FOOD
Water (fluoride)
Shellfish (iodine)
Beans (copper)
Avocado (potassium)
Oregano (potassium)
Dried fruits (manganese)
Basil (potassium)
Bread (magnesium)
Egg (calcium)
White meat (copper)
Parsley (potassium)
Milk (calcium)
Red meat (magnesium)
Pepper (potassium)
Butter (calcium)
Onion (cobalt)
Banana (potassium)
Flaxseed (manganese)
Cereals (copper)
Cheeses (calcium)
Soy (iron)
Chocolate (magnesium)
Radish (cobalt)
Tea (fluoride)
Coriander (potassium)
Rosemary (iron)
Thyme (iron)
Cumin (iron)
Cereal bran (manganese)
Vegetables (iron)
Turmeric (potassium)
Pumpkin seeds (manganese)
Yogurt (calcium)
7. PERSONAL CONCLUSION
Bioelements are important for the life of all living beings, living matter is made up of about
70 stable elements that exist on Earth, except noble gases. For this reason, we must protect
the biodiversity of our planet's natural resources and make the most of them in a positive
way; Thus, for example, using natural substances in different applications such as: Solar
energy, water currents, air, oxygen, nitrogen, and biomass, etc., to produce electrical energy,
as energy sources for various technologies, or well as sources of energy for our agricultural
soils, in short there are many applications; this in order to preserve organic life on the planet
and a better quality for all living beings.
8. BIBLIOGRAPHIC REFERENCES
Essay on Bioelements. Retrieved from: http://www.buenastareas.com/ensayos/Ensayo-
Sobre-Bioelementos/6525287.html.
https://www.ejemplos.co/ejemplos-de-bioelementos-y-su-funcion/
