Panchamahabhutas are the five great elements of nature. These are air, space, water, fire and earth.. These combine in an infinite variety of ways to form all matter in the universe.

In a single cell, the earth element gives it structure, the cytoplasm is formed by water, the metabolic processes of the cell are manifestations of the fire element, the gases in the cell represent air and the space occupied by the cell corresponds to the space element.

Charaka defines a human being as the assemblage of the panchamahabhutas and the 'immaterial self', the soul. The solid structures of the human body: the bones, nails, teeth, muscles, cartilage, skin and hair are manifestations of the earth element. Space corresponds to the spaces in the body: the mouth, the nostrils the digestive tract, the stomach, the respiratory tract and the cells. Air governs movements like those of the muscles, the lungs, the intestines and even those in the cells. Water is present in blood,saliva, digestive juices, plasma and the cytoplasm. Fire controls the functioning of the enzymes.