24 CHEMIC COMPOSITION OF THE HUMAN BODY 



Protein contains carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, 

 sulphur, and some phosphorus. The chemic constit- 

 uents, however, are so complex that a definite chemic 

 formula, representing each ingredient, has not been 

 satisfactorily determined. They are the most stable 

 of the constituents of the body, and help to build up 

 new tissues and replenish the quantity necessary to 

 maintain the loss from waste of the old, resulting from 

 the wear and tear of daily existence, through work, 

 mental or physical, oxidation, elimination, etc. They 

 are also converted into heat and energy, but are not 

 so essential to the body for the former purpose, as 

 the carbohydrates or fats. They are also converted 

 into fat and stored up in the body for future use. 



The proteins and their various tests and physical 

 properties are too numerous to mention or discuss, 

 especially as they are not essential to a nurse's knowledge. 

 I shall simply mention the important ones or the ones 

 of most interest as constituents of the more familiar 

 tissues and foods, under the headings as follows: 

 Albumins, globulins, albuminoids. 



Albumins: Serum-albumin in blood, lymph, chyle. 

 Egg-albumen in white of egg. 

 Lact-albumin in milk. 

 Myo-albumin in plasma of muscle. 

 Globulins: Serum-globulins in blood serum. 



Fibrinogen in blood plasma (with serum-albumin 



and globulin). 



Myosinogen in muscle plasma (very nutritive). 



Crystallin or globulin in crystalline lens of eye. 



Albuminoids: Collagen and ossein in white fibrous 



tissue and bones. 



Choridrin in permanent cartilage. 

 Elastin in fibers of yellow elastic tissue. 

 Keratin in horny tissues and skin as hairs, 



nails, scales, horns of animals, etc. 

 Caseinogen in milk contains phosphorus. 

 Vitellin in yolk of egg contains phosphorus. 



