What happens to the atoms that make up your body when you die?

When we die, our bodies do not turn into nothing; rather, they are broken down into their constituent parts and recycled into the ecosystem. In short, our atoms go on long after we are gone. As you may know, atoms contain protons and neutrons, and they are surrounded by a “shell” of electrons.

Where does your energy go?

From a national view, most of our energy is consumed by the transportation and industrial sectors, with industrial leading the way. As of 2017, the industrial sector accounted for 32 percent of total U.S. energy consumption, and the transportation sector accounted for 28 percent, per Statista, the Statistics Portal.

Do humans have atoms?

About 99 percent of your body is made up of atoms of hydrogen, carbon, nitrogen and oxygen. You also contain much smaller amounts of the other elements that are essential for life. The very heavy elements in you were made in exploding stars. The size of an atom is governed by the average location of its electrons.

What happens to matter and energy when we die?

When we die, our matter and energy return back to the planet Earth from whence they came. Our heat energy radiates away into our surroundings. Some of our stored chemical energy may stay with our body if it’s buried, but if our body is cremated, most of our chemical energy is converted to heat and radiates into Earth.

How is energy destroyed in the human body?

Energy is neither created or destroyed, it simply changes state. As such, the state of energy in our body and brain changes state; heat dissipates, kinetic energy ceases, chemical bonds are broken, decomposition releases heat among other nano processes shutting down.

Is the human body made up of matter and energy?

In life, the human body comprises matter and energy. That energy is both electrical (impulses and signals) and chemical (reactions). The same can be said about plants, which are powered by photosynthesis, a process that allows them to generate energy from sunlight.

How is energy generated in the human body?

The process of energy generation is much more complex in humans, though. Remarkably, at any given moment, roughly 20 watts of energy course through your body — enough to power a light bulb — and this energy is acquired in a plethora of ways. Mostly, we get it through the consumption of food, which gives us chemical energy.