If you have ever heard someone described as “worthless,” you would do well to remember that no one truly qualifies as such. Setting aside the value of life and what a person chooses to do with his or her life, everyone has some value — $160, in fact.
The human body is made up of about sixty chemical elements. Of these, six elements make up 99% of the human body: oxygen, carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, calcium, and phosphorus. The next five make up 0.85%: potassium, sulfur, chlorine, and magnesium. The remaining chemicals, making up 0.15% of the body exist in only trace amounts.
These elements are all readily available to purchase on the open market. Current market values are as follows:
| Element | Mass [Kg] | Cost/Kg | Value | |
| O | Oxygen | 49.14 | $0.20 | $9.83 |
| C | Carbon | 18.29 | $0.01 | $0.18 |
| H | Hydrogen | 8 | $0.20 | $1.60 |
| N | Nitrogen | 2.06 | $0.20 | $0.41 |
| Ca | Calcium | 1.14 | $0.10 | $0.11 |
| P | Phosphorus | 0.89 | $1.00 | $0.89 |
| K | Potassium | 0.16 | $650.00 | $104.00 |
| S | Sulfur | 0.16 | $0.10 | $0.02 |
| Na | Sodium | 0.11 | $250.00 | $28.57 |
| Cl | Chlorine | 0.11 | $1.00 | $0.11 |
| Mg | Magnesium | 0.02 | $3.00 | $0.07 |
| Fe | Iron | 4.80E-03 | $0.20 | $0.00 |
| F | Fluorine | 2.97E-03 | $2,000.00 | $5.94 |
| Zn | Zinc | 2.63E-03 | $2.00 | $0.01 |
| Si | Silicon | 1.14E-03 | $2.00 | $0.00 |
| Rb | Rubidium | 7.77E-04 | $10,000.00 | $7.77 |
| Sr | Strontium | 3.66E-04 | $1,000.00 | $0.37 |
| Br | Bromine | 2.97E-04 | $50.00 | $0.01 |
| Pb | Lead | 1.37E-04 | $0.40 | $0.00 |
| Cu | Copper | 8.23E-05 | $7.00 | $0.00 |
| Al | Aluminium | 6.86E-05 | $2.00 | $0.00 |
| Cd | Cadmium | 5.71E-05 | $10.00 | $0.00 |
| Ce | Cerium | 4.57E-05 | $50.00 | $0.00 |
| Ba | Barium | 2.51E-05 | $60.00 | $0.00 |
| Sn | Tin | 2.29E-05 | $20.00 | $0.00 |
| I | Iodine | 2.29E-05 | $2.00 | $0.00 |
| Ti | Titanium | 2.29E-05 | $8.00 | $0.00 |
| B | Boron | 2.06E-05 | $6,000.00 | $0.12 |
| Se | Selenium | 1.71E-05 | $53.00 | $0.00 |
| Ni | Nickel | 1.71E-05 | $20.00 | $0.00 |
| Cr | Chromium | 1.60E-05 | $20.00 | $0.00 |
| Mn | Manganese | 1.37E-05 | $5.00 | $0.00 |
| As | Arsenic | 8.00E-06 | $5.00 | $0.00 |
| Li | Lithium | 8.00E-06 | $100.00 | $0.00 |
| Hg | Mercury | 6.86E-06 | $40.00 | $0.00 |
| Cs | Caesium | 6.86E-06 | $3,000.00 | $0.02 |
| Mo | Molybdenum | 5.71E-06 | $300.00 | $0.00 |
| Ge | Germanium | 5.71E-06 | $2,000.00 | $0.01 |
| Co | Cobalt | 3.43E-06 | $200.00 | $0.00 |
| Sb | Antimony | 2.29E-06 | $300.00 | $0.00 |
| Ag | Silver | 2.29E-06 | $700.00 | $0.00 |
| Nb | Niobium | 1.71E-06 | $180.00 | $0.00 |
| Zr | Zirconium | 1.14E-06 | $600.00 | $0.00 |
| La | Lanthanum | 9.14E-07 | $1,500.00 | $0.00 |
| Te | Tellurium | 8.00E-07 | $240.00 | $0.00 |
| Ga | Gallium | 8.00E-07 | $1,800.00 | $0.00 |
| Y | Yttrium | 6.86E-07 | $2,000.00 | $0.00 |
| Bi | Bismuth | 5.71E-07 | $400.00 | $0.00 |
| Tl | Thallium | 5.71E-07 | $500.00 | $0.00 |
| In | Indium | 4.57E-07 | $2,000.00 | $0.00 |
| Au | Gold | 2.29E-07 | $40,000.00 | $0.01 |
| Sc | Scandium | 2.29E-07 | $10,000.00 | $0.00 |
| Ta | Tantalum | 2.29E-07 | $200.00 | $0.00 |
| V | Vanadium | 1.26E-07 | $50.00 | $0.00 |
| Th | Thorium | 1.14E-07 | $0.00 | |
| U | Uranium | 1.14E-07 | $0.00 | |
| Sm | Samarium | 5.71E-08 | $0.00 | |
| W | Tungsten | 2.29E-08 | $0.00 | |
| Be | Beryllium | 4.11E-08 | $0.00 | |
| Ra | Radium | 0.00E+00 | $0.00 |
When it is all totaled up, you can purchase all the chemicals needed to build your own human body for $160. Life not included.
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