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.

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.

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.

Supportive Micronutrients and Synergy

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

Iron helps move electrons in nitrogen pathways. Magnesium sits at the center of chlorophyll. Calcium stabilizes structure. Molybdenum enables nitrogen reduction. Boron assists sugar transport.

These are not side notes. They are partners.

When minerals are in balance, elements cooperate. When balance is lost, reactions accelerate, stall, or misfire.

Soil Biology as Ally

Chemistry happens in soil.

But biology governs it.

Microbes regulate nitrogen release. Fungi shuttle phosphorus. Organic matter buffers hydrogen activity. Respiration and aggregation influence oxygen flow.

Healthy soil is not chemically quiet—it is biologically moderated.

The difference matters.

When the System Is in Balance

When CHNOPS operates with its positive cofactors:

• Growth is steady, not forced.
• Nutrients cycle instead of leach.
• Plants resist pests instead of attracting them.
• Energy moves efficiently instead of erupting chemically.

Balance does not mean stagnation. It means coordination.

What This Series Will Explore

In the posts that follow, we will look at each of the six foundational elements individually.

Not to isolate them. But to understand how they function within a living system.

We will ask:

• What does this element actually do?
• What mineral partners support it?
• How does soil biology moderate it?
• What does balance look like in practice?

Because productivity is not the result of one nutrient applied.

It is the outcome of relationships working together.

CHNOPS is not new science. It is foundational science.

The question is not whether these elements are present.

The question is whether they are supported.

Next: Carbon (C) – the structural backbone of life, and the mineral partnerships that allow it to endure.