ICY SCIENCE MAGAZINE WINTER 2014 Vol 2 | Page 45

45 Building blocks of life: The most basic building block of life is a chemical element. There are 6 elements which play a central role in the fundamental structure of all life on Earth. These are Carbon, Hydrogen, Nitrogen, Oxygen, Phosphorus and Sulphur. Elements come together to form molecules wherein the atoms are held together by chemical bonds. Carbon element is considered as the back bone of all life on earth as it can easily bind with other atoms to form molecules. This is why we are called carbon based life. Some examples of