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CHON is a
mnemonic A mnemonic ( ) device, or memory device, is any learning technique that aids information retention or retrieval (remembering) in the human memory for better understanding. Mnemonics make use of elaborative encoding, retrieval cues, and imager ...
acronym An acronym is a word or name formed from the initial components of a longer name or phrase. Acronyms are usually formed from the initial letters of words, as in ''NATO'' (''North Atlantic Treaty Organization''), but sometimes use syllables, as ...
for the four most common elements in living organisms: carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen. The acronym CHNOPS, which stands for ''c''arbon, ''h''ydrogen, ''n''itrogen, ''o''xygen, ''p''hosphorus, ''s''ulfur, represents the six most important
chemical element A chemical element is a species of atoms that have a given number of protons in their nuclei, including the pure substance consisting only of that species. Unlike chemical compounds, chemical elements cannot be broken down into simpler sub ...
s whose
covalent A covalent bond is a chemical bond that involves the sharing of electrons to form electron pairs between atoms. These electron pairs are known as shared pairs or bonding pairs. The stable balance of attractive and repulsive forces between atom ...
combinations make up most
biological Biology is the scientific study of life. It is a natural science with a broad scope but has several unifying themes that tie it together as a single, coherent field. For instance, all organisms are made up of cells that process hereditary in ...
molecules on Earth. They were created in stars in outer space a long time ago and when a supernova occurred, these elements were sent into space. All of these elements are
nonmetal In chemistry, a nonmetal is a chemical element that generally lacks a predominance of metallic properties; they range from colorless gases (like hydrogen) to shiny solids (like carbon, as graphite). The electrons in nonmetals behave differentl ...
s. In the human body, these four elements compose about 96% of the weight, and major
minerals In geology and mineralogy, a mineral or mineral species is, broadly speaking, a solid chemical compound with a fairly well-defined chemical composition and a specific crystal structure that occurs naturally in pure form.John P. Rafferty, ed. ...
(macrominerals) and minor minerals (also called
trace element __NOTOC__ A trace element, also called minor element, is a chemical element whose concentration (or other measure of amount) is very low (a "trace amount"). They are classified into two groups: essential and non-essential. Essential trace elements ...
s) compose the remainder. Sulfur is contained in the
amino acid Amino acids are organic compounds that contain both amino and carboxylic acid functional groups. Although hundreds of amino acids exist in nature, by far the most important are the alpha-amino acids, which comprise proteins. Only 22 alpha am ...
s cysteine and methionine. Phosphorus is contained in
phospholipid Phospholipids, are a class of lipids whose molecule has a hydrophilic "head" containing a phosphate group and two hydrophobic "tails" derived from fatty acids, joined by an alcohol residue (usually a glycerol molecule). Marine phospholipids typ ...
s, a class of lipids that are a major component of all cell membranes, as they can form lipid bilayers, which keep
ion An ion () is an atom or molecule with a net electrical charge. The charge of an electron is considered to be negative by convention and this charge is equal and opposite to the charge of a proton, which is considered to be positive by conv ...
s, proteins, and other molecules where they are needed for
cell Cell most often refers to: * Cell (biology), the functional basic unit of life Cell may also refer to: Locations * Monastic cell, a small room, hut, or cave in which a religious recluse lives, alternatively the small precursor of a monastery w ...
function, and prevent them from diffusing into areas where they should not be. Phosphate groups are also an essential component of the backbone of nucleic acids (general name for DNA & RNA) and are required to form ATP – the main molecule used as energy powering the cell in all living creatures. Carbonaceous asteroids are rich in CHON elements.Water vs. Rocks: Resources for Earth or for Exploration?
SSI-TV video archive, recorded on 30 October 2010, 66:07, four talks and Q&A given during Session 2: ''Extraterrestrial Prospecting'' of the Space Studies Institute’s Space Manufacturing 14 conference in California. Prof. Michael A'Hearn ( University of Maryland) @ 7:10 in the video. ''The video also includes Brad Blair, Space Studies Institute, and Prof. Leslie Gertsch, University of Missouri-Rolla: ''Mining Concepts Development for Accessing Asteroid Resources''; Mark Sonter, Asteroid Enterprises Pty Ltd Resources: ''Asteroids: What We Can Expect From What We Know Now''; Dr. Faith Vilas, University of Arizona, Department of Astronomy and Steward Observatory'', Retrieved 2011-01-07.
These asteroids are the most common type, and frequently collide with Earth as meteorites. Such collisions were especially common early in
Earth's history The history of Earth concerns the development of planet Earth from its formation to the present day. Nearly all branches of natural science have contributed to understanding of the main events of Earth's past, characterized by constant geologi ...
, and these impactors may have been crucial in the formation of the planet's oceans. The simplest compounds to contain all of the CHON elements are isomers fulminic acid (HCNO),
isofulminic acid Fulminic acid is an acid with the formula HCNO, more specifically . It is an isomer of isocyanic acid () and of its elusive tautomer, cyanic acid (), and also of isofulminic acid (). Fulminate is the anion or any of its salts. For historical ...
(HONC),
cyanic acid Isocyanic acid is a chemical compound with the structural formula HNCO, which is often written as . It is a colourless, volatile and poisonous substance, with a boiling point of 23.5 °C. It is the predominant tautomer of cyanic acid (). ...
(HOCN) and
isocyanic acid Isocyanic acid is a chemical compound with the structural formula HNCO, which is often written as . It is a colourless, volatile and poisonous substance, with a boiling point of 23.5 °C. It is the predominant tautomer of cyanic acid (). ...
(HNCO), having one of each atom.


See also

*
Abundance of the chemical elements The abundance of the chemical elements is a measure of the occurrence of the chemical elements relative to all other elements in a given environment. Abundance is measured in one of three ways: by the mass-fraction (the same as weight fraction); ...
*
Carbon-based life Carbon-based may refer to: * Biology * based on Carbon * Carbon-based life * Carbon chauvinism Carbon chauvinism is a neologism meant to disparage the assumption that the chemical processes of hypothetical extraterrestrial life must be constr ...
*
Biochemistry Biochemistry or biological chemistry is the study of chemical processes within and relating to living organisms. A sub-discipline of both chemistry and biology, biochemistry may be divided into three fields: structural biology, enzymology and ...
*
Bioinorganic chemistry Bioinorganic chemistry is a field that examines the role of metals in biology. Bioinorganic chemistry includes the study of both natural phenomena such as the behavior of metalloproteins as well as artificially introduced metals, including those t ...


References


External links


"Impact of the Biosphere on the Earth", University of Texas at Dallas
{{DEFAULTSORT:Chon Astrobiology Biology and pharmacology of chemical elements Mnemonic acronyms Science mnemonics Science fiction themes Astrochemistry