Are there elements that are never found in life?

In summary, the conversation discusses the possibility of elements being found in life forms and the strictness of their involvement. It is mentioned that all naturally occurring elements may be present in some form of life, but not all play an active role. A diagram is provided to summarize the known biological roles of all elements.
  • #1
icakeov
379
27
Hello,
Are there elements that are never found in life forms?
Or can some find themselves in life, but perhaps very unlikely?
 
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  • #2
I guess there is always some possibility of any element being ingested in trace amounts as part of food.
Even if it doesn't get involved in any significant biochemistry it might just find it's way into some cells,
although it's presence there is neither harmful or beneficial.
 
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  • #3
Thanks for your response rootone!
I am having a hard time finding which elements never actively get involved with life. Is the line strict at all?
I guess my question did lack the "active" context.
I assume radioactive elements won't be found ever in cells. Just wondering how determined elements are whether they are and "active component" in some domain of life.
 
  • #4
You can probably find all the naturally occurring elements present in some form of life, but many likely do not play any role (for example, it's hard to imagine the noble gasses playing any biological role as they are very inert and would not form any compounds in biological systems). Here's a nice diagram of summarizing the known biological roles of all the elements:
tumblr_ns5pg82NMu1trtj0xo1_1280.jpg

http://compoundchem.tumblr.com/post/125185290141/heres-a-neat-alternative-periodic-table-by
 
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  • #5

Related to Are there elements that are never found in life?

1. What are the elements that are never found in life?

There are three main elements that are never found in life: technetium, promethium, and astatine. These elements are synthetic, meaning they are created in a laboratory and do not occur naturally on Earth.

2. Why are these elements never found in life?

Technetium, promethium, and astatine have unstable nuclei and decay quickly, making it difficult for them to exist in living organisms. Additionally, they are not produced in large quantities in nature, further limiting their presence in living organisms.

3. Are there any exceptions to these elements not being found in life?

While technetium, promethium, and astatine are not found in living organisms, they can be found in trace amounts in the Earth's crust and in certain minerals. However, these amounts are so small that they do not have any significant impact on life.

4. Can these elements be used in any way in living organisms?

Technetium and promethium have some uses in medicine, such as in diagnostic imaging. However, they are not directly used in living organisms and are only present in very small amounts. Astatine does not have any known uses in living organisms.

5. Are there any other elements that are rarely found in life?

In addition to technetium, promethium, and astatine, there are other elements that are rarely found in living organisms. These include polonium, francium, and radon. These elements also have unstable nuclei and are not produced in large quantities in nature.

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