TABLE II. ADAPTIVE FUNCTIONS OF THE LIFE ELEMENTS IN PLANTS AND ANIMALS 



ELEMENTS INVARIABLY PRESENT IN LIVING ORGANISMS 



Atomic 

 Weiihl 



702 cal. (H,) 



Hydrogen 



Carbon 



Oxygen 



Nitrogen 



Phosphorus 



? Sodium 

 ?Chlorine 

 ? Silicon 



Hydrogen, carbon, oxygen, „.. 

 with sulphur, practically all 



and nitrogen — "H, C, O, N" — are csscnlial and of chief rank in all life processes; forming, 

 "" plant and animal proteins and, with phosphorus, forming the nucleoproteins. 



In nucleoproteins and phospholipins. 



In most proteins, o.i-*5.o per cent. 



Abundant in marine plants, esp. "kelps" (larger Phaophy- 

 cea); activity of chlorophyll depends on it. 



Present in large quantities in Corallinacccs (a family of cal- 

 cified red algse). 



Present in large quantities in certain algae {chiefly marine). 



Essential in the formation of protoplasm; present in chlo- 

 rophyll. 



Believed essential to all plants, but not demonstrated; 



found in marine plants, esp. Phceophycece. 

 Present in many plants; believed by some to be essential; 



abundant in marine algas, esp. in the Phaophycea. 

 Found in all plants; present in large quantities in the Dia- 



lomace<B, both fresh-water and marine ; in form of ' ' silica ' ' 



constitutes 0.5-7.0 per cent of the ash of ordinary marine 



In nucleoproteins and phosphoUpins; in some brachiopods 



in blood; and in vertebrate bone and teeth. 

 In most proteins, 0.1-5.0 per cent. 

 In blood, muscle, etc. 



Present in ecbinoderms and alcyonarians; present in all 



parts of vertebrates, esp. in bones. 

 In all parts of vertebrates; abundant in bones and teeth. 

 Essential in the formation of protoplasm, and in the 



higher animals; essential in hemoglobin as an o.xygen- 



Present in all animals; abundant in blood and lymph. 



Present in all animals; abundant in blood and lymph; 



present in the gastric juice. 

 Present in radiolarians and siliceous sponges; also in all 



the higher animals. 



ELEMENTS FREQUENTLY PRESENT IN LIVING ORGANISMS 



In marine plants, esp. the "brow;i alga." Phmophycew; 



in Laminaria and Fiicus; also in some Gorgonias. 

 In some plants. 

 In marine plants, esp. the "brown alga;," Phffophycca; ; in 



some Gorgonias. 

 In a few plants. 



Essential in the higher animals (thyroid). 



, very slight proportions. 

 1 very slight proportions. 



.463 cal. 



0.585 

 0.243 



ELEMENTS RARELY PRESENT IN LIVING ORGANISMS 



Aluminum ' 

 Arsenic ' 

 Barium * 

 Boron 

 Cobalt • 

 Copper ' 



Lead' 

 Lithium 

 Nickel ' 

 Radium ' 

 Strontium ' 

 Zinc' 



In a few plants. 



In a few plants. 

 In some plants. 

 In a few plants. 

 In a few plants. 



In some plants. 

 In a few plants. 

 In some plants. 

 In a few plants. 

 In a few plants. 



' corals; essential in some lower animals 



In some animals. 



In a few animals; traces in some corals, 



The exceedingly rare occurrence of cerium, chromium, didymium, lanthanum, molybdenum, and vanAdium is in all probability merely adventitious. 

 ' Commonly regarded as poisons when present in m'tnerd (ionic) forms, even in small proportions. 



