Some of the photon energy of the Big Bang was converted to quark particles and gluon plasma that condensed to form protons and neutrons. The first element to form was likely the first isotope of hydrogen, deuterium, composed of one proton and one neutron, but no electron. Atomic fusion of hydrogen to form helium, and of helium to form beryllium, required very high energy to overcome the forces that repel protons. Subsequently, stellar nucleosynthesis fused hydrogen, helium, or beryllium nuclei to create nuclei with increasing atomic numbers (protons) and isotopes (variable neutrons). Later when these positively charged protons attracted negatively charged electrons, atoms of these elements were generated. The bonding or sharing of unbalanced orbital electrons among atoms led to the development of molecules and compounds. Of the 94 naturally occurring elements, the binding properties of hydrogen, carbon, oxygen, nitrogen, phosphorous, and sulfur make them the primary ingredients that formed into the small molecular compounds that provided for the structure and function of macromolecules that led to lifeforms. Twenty other elements in small amounts are also essential for life.