Human Body Composition by Mass

About This Dataset

What the human body is made of by weight, broken down into its main molecular components rather than chemical elements. Water is by far the largest fraction of a lean adult body, with protein and fat next. Figures are approximate averages for a lean adult.

✨ AI Insight

Water dominates the body's mass at roughly 60%, more than the combined total of every other component - a single reason dehydration is so quickly dangerous. Protein and fat follow, each around 16% in a lean adult, though fat is the most variable component between individuals and can rise well above this in people with higher body-fat percentages. Minerals, concentrated in the bones and teeth as calcium and phosphate, make up about 6%, while carbohydrates account for barely 1% because the body stores very little sugar at any moment. The breakdown highlights that, chemically, a human is essentially water plus a modest scaffold of protein, fat and mineral - with carbohydrate present only in transit as fuel.

Source: Composition of the human body (standard references)

Key Findings

Auto-computed highlights from this dataset

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Water leads with 60 in All Time.

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Average value in All Time: 20 · median: 16.

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Gap in All Time: Water is 60× larger than Carbohydrates.