Science, Tech, Math Science How Much Are the Elements in Your Body Worth? Share Flipboard Email Print ERproductions Ltd / Getty Images Science Chemistry Biochemistry Basics Chemical Laws Molecules Periodic Table Projects & Experiments Scientific Method Physical Chemistry Medical Chemistry Chemistry in Everyday Life Famous Chemists Activities for Kids Abbreviations & Acronyms Biology Physics Geology Astronomy Weather & Climate by Anne Marie Helmenstine, Ph.D. Dr. Helmenstine holds a Ph.D. in biomedical sciences and is a science writer, educator, and consultant. She has taught science courses at the high school, college, and graduate levels. Updated August 25, 2018 Have you ever wondered how much the elements in your body are worth? First, let's take a look at the elements from which you are made. Your body is made of: 65% Oxygen18% Carbon10% Hydrogen3% Nitrogen1.5% Calcium1% Phosphorous0.35% Potassium0.25% Sulfur0.15% Sodium0.15% Chlorine0.05% Magnesium0.0004% Iron0.00004% Iodine Your body contains trace amounts of other elements, such as silicon, manganese, fluorine, copper, zinc, arsenic and aluminum. What is the going rate for a body's worth of these elements? One US dollar! Are you surprised? Selling For Parts Let's see if we can bump the price up a bit. If you're looking to make a buck with your bod, your best bet would be to sell individual organs, but since that's illegal, an alternative might be to tan your hide for use as leather. Your skin would be worth about $3.50 if it were sold at the price of a cowhide, which runs around $0.25 per square foot. So, if you take a dollar's worth of elements plus the value of your skin, you might be able to get $4.50, which we'll round up to $5, so you'll feel better about your chemical value. Chemical Composition of the Body | Which Element Are You? Continue Reading