Despite there being 118 known elements, only a handful of them are known to be found in living organisms. Indeed, the immense complexity of life is made up almost entirely of four elements: carbon, hydrogen, oxygen and nitrogen; approximately 99 percent of the human body is made up of these elements. read more
Humans are made up mostly of hydrogen, oxygen, carbon and nitrogen as these elements account for 96 percent of the cells in the body. Other important elements in the body include calcium, potassium, sodium, chlorine, magnesium, iron, fluorine, zinc, copper, iodine, selenium, chromium, manganese, molybdenum and cobalt. read more
By Kevin Beck; Updated April 30, 2018 Six elements on the periodic table account for 97 percent of your body's mass: carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, sulfur and phosphorus. read more