I read somewhere that the average human has 0.1 milligrams of uranium in their body. How did it get there, and does it do anything?
In: Biology
It got there because it’s in our food and water. Uranium is a naturally occurring element. It exist in tiny amounts in the soil. Plants that grow in that soil take up tiny amounts of it into their roots, leaves, fruits, and stems. We eat those plants or we eat animals that ate those plants. It also exists in rocks and soil and dirt in the rivers and reservoirs we get our drinking water from. That water absorbs tiny amounts of it on its way to your glass of water or cup of coffee.
It doesn’t do anything. It’s just there. The same way every time you eat a banana you’re ingesting a bit of radioactive potassium 40. Our bodies naturally have tiny amounts of a bunch of different radioactive isotopes. They don’t do anything, they’re just there. These isotopes exist in our bodies in such tiny quantities that they aren’t anything to worry about. It’s just a part of life.
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