CHNOPS: The Chemistry of Life Through the Cofactor Lens

There are six elements that form the foundation of nearly all life on Earth: Carbon, Hydrogen, Nitrogen, Oxygen, Phosphorus, and Sulfur. Together, they are often abbreviated as CHNOPS.

These are not rare elements. They are not exotic. They are not specialty inputs.

They are the chemistry of life.

From the sugars moving through a tomato vine, to the respiration of soil microbes beneath our boots, to the structure of proteins, enzymes, and DNA—CHNOPS is present. Always.

So why revisit something so fundamental?

Because while we often talk about nutrients in isolation, life never functions in isolation.

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Why CHNOPS?

In the garden, we are often trained to think in terms of deficiencies and applications.

Add nitrogen.
Add phosphorus.
Correct potassium.
Adjust pH.

But CHNOPS does not operate as a checklist. These elements operate as a network.

Carbon builds structure.
Hydrogen moves energy.
Nitrogen gives purpose.
Oxygen regulates transformation.
Phosphorus transfers energy.
Sulfur completes proteins.

Each element has a role. But none acts alone.

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Why the Cofactor Lens?

A cofactor is something that enables a process to happen.

In biology, cofactors are the quiet partners—minerals, enzymes, and environmental conditions—that allow primary elements to function properly.

Without cofactors:

* Carbon accumulates but does not build.
* Nitrogen stimulates but does not stabilize.
* Hydrogen reacts but does not regulate.

Cofactors do not replace CHNOPS.
They allow CHNOPS to behave.

This series looks at each of the six elements not as isolated inputs, but through the lens of their positive cofactors—the mineral relationships and biological systems that support them.

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Supportive Micronutrients and Synergy

The so-called “minor” minerals are anything but minor.

Iron helps move electrons in...

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