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What are the elements that make up a cell? What elements are essential for a cell to survive? What role does each element play within the cell? were the questions I asked Ask a Scientist. As of Saturday, July 14th, I have not received an answer from Ask a Scientist. As these will require some research, I did not expect a quick reply. When I receive a reply, I will post it on this blog. I did receive some percentage breakdowns from a fellow student . . . hydrogen 59%, oxygen 23%, carbon 11%, nitrogen 4%, and other elements 2% (Qureshi, 2012). I am excited to have these percentage breakdowns. I will add this information in the lessons about the elements and their uses. I am still curious as to what elements make up the 2% of the “other elements”. I hope that I receive an answer this fall In chapter 26 of Integrated Science (Tillery, Enger, & Ross, 2009), the chemical breakdown of DNA was given. DNA is made up of oxygen, carbon, hydrogen, phosphorus, and nitrogen. From this information, I learned that part of the 2% is phosphorous. I could use such websites as askascientist.org as a tool to model for my students one way in which they can find answers to science questions. Knowing where to look and where to find answers is an essential skill students will need in order to be successful. This is one method I can model. I like the questions posed to the website are answered by real scientists who are taking the time to share their knowledge with others. References Qureshi, W. (July 7, 2012). RE: Cell question. Week 3 Discussion. Walden University. Tillery, B.W., Enger, E.D., & Ross, F.C. (2008). Integrated science (4th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.