How much carbon is in the human body

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Carbon Content in the Human Body: An Overview

Carbon as a Fundamental Element in Human Biology

Carbon is a fundamental element in the human body, making up approximately 18.5% of the body's mass. This significant proportion underscores carbon's essential role in the structure and function of biological molecules, including proteins, fats, and carbohydrates .

Measurement Techniques for Total Body Carbon

Several advanced techniques have been developed to measure total body carbon (TBC) in vivo. One such method involves neutron inelastic scattering, where fast neutrons produced by a deuterium-tritium neutron generator are used to irradiate the body. This technique has been applied to volunteers, showing reliable results that align with other body composition measurement methods . Another method uses in vivo neutron activation analysis (IVNAA), which estimates TBC by measuring gamma ray emissions from carbon and hydrogen in the body. This method has been applied to both patients and healthy volunteers, providing precise estimates of TBC .

Carbon Distribution and Storage in the Body

Carbon in the human body is primarily found in organic molecules such as proteins, fats, and carbohydrates. The distribution of carbon is not uniform; it is heavily concentrated in tissues with high metabolic activity. For instance, blood contains a significant amount of carbon, primarily in the form of carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide bound to hemoglobin . Additionally, a small percentage of carbon monoxide is found in extravascular tissues, bound to various hemoproteins .

Carbon-14 and Environmental Impact

The presence of carbon-14 in the human body, resulting from environmental exposure to nuclear fission and fusion, has been a subject of study. Measurements of carbon-14 in blood samples have shown that environmental radiation can significantly affect the levels of this isotope in the body, particularly in the years following a sharp increase in environmental radiation .

Conclusion

In summary, carbon is a crucial element in the human body, constituting about 18.5% of body mass. Advanced techniques such as neutron inelastic scattering and IVNAA are used to measure total body carbon accurately. The distribution of carbon within the body is primarily in organic molecules and varies across different tissues. Environmental factors, such as exposure to nuclear radiation, can influence the levels of carbon isotopes like carbon-14 in the body. Understanding the carbon content and its distribution is essential for insights into human biology and the impact of environmental factors on health.

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Most relevant research papers on this topic

Carbon-14 in the Biosphere and Humans

Carbon-14 measurements in blood samples show that environmental carbon-14 calculations can be inaccurate, potentially affecting human health.

1969·

40citations

·D. Harkness et al.

Carbon in the Catalysis Community

Carbon is the 6 element in the periodic table and the 15 most abundant element in the Earth’s crust. It is the basis of all known life, and is the second most abundant element by mass (about 18.5%) in the human body. The atoms of carbon can be bonded together in different ways to form carbons, such as charcoal, graphite, diamond, activated carbon, and carbon black, which have been used since the pre-historic era and are still widely used in modern industries. The later discovery of new allotropes of carbon, including fullerenes, carbon nanotubes, and graphene, has triggered much multi-disciplinary research on carbon science and technology. This booming area has attracted worldwide attention, particularly in the areas of sustainable chemistry and clean energy.

2015·

6citations

·An‐Hui Lu et al.

THE CARBON MONOXIDE BODY STORES *

Carbon monoxide (CO) stores in the body are mainly found in blood, but 10-15% is found in extravascular tissues, with most of this CO bound to hemoproteins and less than 1% physically dissolved in body fluids.

Highly Cited

1970·

148citations

·R. Coburn

In vivo determination of body fat by measuring total body carbon.

The total body carbon (TBC) technique accurately determines body fat in adults of any age and health condition, with body fat and protein being the main contributors to TBC.

Non-RCTHighly Cited

1991·

86citations

·J. Kehayias et al.

In vivo measurement of total body carbon using 238Pu/Be neutron sources.

In vivo neutron activation analysis (IVNAA) accurately measures total body carbon in surgical gastroenterological patients and normal volunteers, with a precision of +/- 1.6 kg for a whole body dose of 0.3 mSv.

Non-RCTLarge Human Trial

1990·

18citations

·J. Sutcliffe et al.

Endogenous carbon monoxide production.

The rate of carbon monoxide production in young normal resting human male subjects averages 0.42 0.07 ml per hour STPD (6.1 1 per hour per kilogram), with factors such as exercise intensity and diet influencing this rate and the quantity of CO in the body stores.

Highly Cited

1970·

80citations

·R. Coburn

Fraction of carbon-free body mass as oxygen is a constant body composition ratio in men.

A relatively constant ratio of total body oxygen to carbon-free body mass exists in men, aiding in understanding the atomic level of body composition and estimating specific element content in vivo.

Observational Study

1998·

2citations

·Z. Wang et al.

Concentration of Carbon Monoxide (CO) in Postmortem Human Tissues: Effect of Environmental CO Exposure *

Postmortem CO concentration measurements in various tissues can serve as markers for exogenous CO exposure and identify possible causes of death.

2006·

37citations

·H. Vreman et al.

The mass and oxygen capacity of the blood in man

The mass of the blood in man is about -th of the body-weight, but the actual absorption rate of carbonic oxide is much higher than previously estimated.

Highly Cited

1900·

94citations

·J. Haldane et al.

Carbon isotopes profiles of human whole blood, plasma, red blood cells, urine and feces for biological/biomedical 14C-accelerator mass spectrometry applications.

This study presents a method to determine baseline carbon isotope levels in human tissues and body fluids for in vivo human ADME and PBPK studies using (14)C as a tracer.

Observational Study

2011·

13citations

·seung‐hyun kim et al.

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