It will be seen from this that oxygen, carbon, hydrogen, and nitrogen constitute nearly the whole, the other elements being in very small proportions.
PRINCIPAL CHEMICAL COMPOUNDS IN
THE BODY
The following interesting table, obtained at the National Museum, gives the principal compounds of the body. Some of the more rare organic compounds are omitted.
| Water:—A compound of oxygen and hydrogen. |
| |
| Protein | { | Albuminoids | { | Myosin and syntonin of muscle (sometimes called "muscle fibrin"). |
| Compounds, | { | or | { | |
| { | Proteids. | { | |
| composed | { | | { | Albumen of blood and milk. Casein of milk. |
| mainly of | { | | |
| { | |
| Carbon, | { | | { | Collagen of bone and tendons. | } | which |
| { | Gelatinoids. | { | | } | yield |
| Oxygen, | { | | { | Chondrigen of cartilage, gristle, | } | gelatin. |
| { |
| Hydrogen, | { | | { |
| { | Hemoglobin. | { | The red coloring matter of blood. |
| Nitrogen. | { | | { |
| |
| Fats, | { | | { | Stearin, | } | These make up the bulk of the fat of the body. |
| { | Neutral | { | | } |
| composed | { | Fats. | { | Palmitin, | } | They are likewise the chief constituents of tallow, lard, etc. |
| mainly of | { | | { | | } |
| { | | { | Olein, etc. | } |
| Carbon, | { |
| { | Complex | { | Protagon, | } | Found chiefly in the brain, spinal cord, nerves, etc. |
| Oxygen, | { | Fats, | { | | } |
| { | containing | { | Lecithin, | } |
| Hydrogen, | { | phosphorus | { | | } |
| { | and nitrogen. | { | Cerebrin. | } |
| |
| Carbohydrates, | { | Glycogen, "animal starch." Occurs in the liver and other organs. |
| composed of | { |
| Carbon, | { | Inosite, "muscle sugar." Occurs in various organs. |
| Oxygen, | { | Lactose, "milk sugar." Occurs in milk. |
| Hydrogen. | { | Cholesterin. Occurs in brain, nerves, and other organs. |
| |
| { | Phosphate of lime, or calcium phosphate. | } | Occurs chiefly in bones and teeth, though found in other organs. |
| { | Carbonate of lime, or calcium carbonate. | } |
| { | Fluorid of calcium, or calcium fluorid. | } |
| { | Phosphate of magnesia, or magnesium phosphate. | } |
| { |
| Mineral | { | Phosphate of potash, or potassium phosphate. | } |
| Salts. | { | Sulphate of potash, or potassium sulphate. | } | Distributed through the body in the blood, muscle, brain, and other organs. |
| { | Chlorid of potassium, or potassium chlorid. | } |
| { | Phosphate of soda, or sodium phosphate. | } |
| { | Sulphate of soda, or sodium sulphate. | } |
| { | Chlorid of sodium, or sodium chlorid. | } |
Now, since the body is composed of these substances, our food, including air and water, should contain them all in due proportion, that the growth, energy, and repair of the body may be healthfully maintained.