The similarity of the chemical composition of the universe to that of the human body has been remarked upon before. Since I am studying more chemistry as of late I thought writing these out would help cement the knowledge and might be of interest to others. Hydrogen, Oxygen, and Carbon are 3 of the 4 most common elements in the universe and in the human body.
In the human body the 4 most common elements (percent of atoms) are:
- Hydrogen – 63%
- Oxygen – 24%
- Carbon – 12%
- Nitrogen – 0.6%
In the universe the 4 most common elements (ppb by weight) are:
- Hydrogen – 74-75%
- Helium – 23-24%
- Oxygen – 1%
- Carbon – 0.5%
The mass of the human body is composed of:
- Oxygen – 65%
- Carbon – 18%
- Hydrogen – 10%
- Nitrogen – 3%