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Is Our Blood Similar to Sea Water?
Jan 04, 2016
Hall of Life—Ocean Life Exhibits
The claim that the composition of blood is similar to sea water is based on the assumption that life came from the ocean. The following table shows that, contrary to what some may claim, the similarities between our blood and seawater are simply not there. However, even if blood and sea water were similar, this wouldn’t prove one came from the other.
The information in the chart was taken from:
- C.A. Burtis and E.R. Ashwood, Clinical Chemistry. Philadelphia: W.B. Saunders Company, 1994 edition.
- R.C. Baselt and R.H. Cravey, Disposition of toxic drugs and chemicals in Man. Chicago: Year Book Medical Publ., 1989 edition.
- The New Encyclopædia Britannica, 15:925, 1992, 15th ed.
| Element | Blood | Seawater |
|---|---|---|
| Sodium | 3220 mg/liter | 10800 |
| Chlorine | 3650 | 19400 |
| Potassium | 200 | 392 |
| Calcium | 50 | 411 |
| Magnesium | 27 | 1290 |
| Phosphorus | 36 | 0.09 |
| Iron | 1 | 0.004 |
| Copper | 1 | 0.001 |
| Zinc | 1.1 | 0.005 |
| Chromium | 1.1 | 0.0002 |
| Bromine | 4 | 67 |
| Fluorine | 0.1 | 1.3 |
| Boron | 1 | 5 |
| Selenium | 0.9 | 0.0001 |
