All the carbon atoms in the human body were created in the stars. Elementary particles, such as protons, were formed during the "big bang"; that amazing moment about 14 billion years ago in which the universe got it's start.

Where does carbon come from?

Most carbon is stored in reservoirs, or sinks, such as rocks and sediments, while the rest is stored in the atmosphere, oceans, and living organisms. Carbon is released back into to the atmosphere through respiration by animals and plants. It is also released by burning materials such as wood, oil and gas.

How was carbon produced?

Carbon and oxygen were not created in the Big Bang, but rather much later in stars. All of the carbon and oxygen in all living things are made in the nuclear fusion reactors that we call stars. ... When these stars die with a bang they spread the elements of life, carbon and oxygen, throughout the universe.