Phosphorus(P)is an essential element to all life,being a structural and functional component of all organisms.P provides the phosphate-ester backbone of DNA and RNA,and it is crucial in the transmission of chemical energy through the ATP molecule(Figure 1).P is also a structural constituent in many cell components such as phosphopro-teins,and phospholipids in cell membranes,teeth,and bones(Figure 1).In some organisms it can also be present as intracellular polyphosphate storage granules(Figure 1).
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