# Minerals Found in Limestone
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Calcium
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Milk is a good source of calcium for the human body. Calcium is the fifth most abundant element in the earth's crust. It is a reactive alkaline earth element. Calcium forms a white coating of calcium nitride when exposed to air. Calcium is not found as such in nature, but is found in different minerals including limestone, gypsum and fluorite. Calcium is essential to the human body in the formation of bones and teeth.
Carbon
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We think of carbon as charcoal. Carbon is the sixth most abundant element in the universe. It is a component of rocks as carbonates of calcium in limestone, magnesium and iron. Carbon is the active element of photosynthesis and the key structural component to all life. Carbon is the most abundant element found in organisms. Using inorganic carbon in the form of carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere and energy from sunlight, plants convert CO2 to organic carbon as they produce stems, leaves and roots.
Oxygen
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Oxygen is the third most abundant element in the universe. Oxygen makes up 21 percent of earth's atmosphere. It is highly reactive and binds easily with other elements. Human life depends on oxygen. Oxygen becomes trapped in other forms, then binds with new elements to create new and useful material for mankind.
Uses of limestone
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Children get expressive with sidewalk chalk. Although limestone is not as strong as sandstone as far as building materials, it is preferred when building landscaping pieces that will be around for centuries. It is also used as a source of lime for cement, which is considered the most important construction material ever invented by man. Lime is used to prepare garden plots or fields used by farmers to provide calcium to the soil. Limestone is used in several industries, such as cosmetics, chalk for blackboards and cue sticks, and for making sidewalk chalk.
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