The Specific Uses of Minerals or Elements in the Body-Carbon

January 2007: Volume 2 Number 1

Carbon [C] – This element is the backbone of most of the body's structures. Carbon is used in the structure of amino acids, proteins, carbohydrates, sugars, lipids, nucleoproteins and nucleic acids. Carbon combines with itself and other elements in plants and animals. It is possible to reconstruct fossils of carbon to the plants that previously existed many years ago. Carbon is found in the air as carbon dioxide and in water as carbon dioxide, carbonates and carbonic acid.

            Carbon is primarily found in living organisms, which is the reason that life is centered on the carbon element. Carbon is the basis of organic chemistry and a branch of this discipline is biochemistry. Biochemistry is the chemistry of living substances.

            One example of the use of carbon in the body is when it is in a carbon dioxide molecule. Carbon dioxide makes changes in the bronchiolar structures in the lungs to balance the air flow to blood flow ratio. This local function allows the proper gas and blood elements to be in balance and sustain life. The bronchioles are highly responsive to carbon dioxide. A high carbon dioxide concentration in the blood will cause bronchiolar lung sacs to dilate and let oxygen into lungs. Low carbon dioxide concentration in the blood will cause bronchiolar lung sacs to constrict, which allows an increase in the oxygen blood levels. Carbon makes this possible. Carbon balances the ventilation of gasses in the lungs and the gasses in the blood supply to match and allows life to properly continue.

Carbon dioxide not only stimulates local lung tissue, but it can also concentrate in the cerebrospinal fluid and with the help of the hydrogen element, it will stimulate a chemical sensitive area in the medulla of the brain to maintain control of the respiratory system. The advantages of the bicarbonate ion (– HCO3) and an additional hydrogen (positive element) ion to balance this molecule, nerve impulses gain faster control of the respiratory system than a local chemical reaction in the lungs.

The most important body buffer systems contain bicarbonate with a carbon dioxide part in the molecular structure. This controlled buffer system works in other areas of the body such as plasma proteins, phosphate complexes between cells and hemoglobin. Carbon controls buffer systems and many body processes.

We will discuss the Hydrogen (H) atom in our next lecture as a continuation of the specific uses of minerals or element in our bodies.