What do living organisms use phosphorus for?
1 Answer
Phosphorous is used in ATP to transport energy, in bones to provide rigidity, in DNA as the supportive backbone and in the cell membranes to control diffusion.
Explanation:
Phosphorous in used mostly in phosphates, which occur in a multitude of molecules.
ATP, adenosine triphosphate, is often called the energy currency of the body. When respiration converts energy from glucose to a more usable form, the more usable form is ATP, which carries it around. It cuts off a phosphate group, and the energy from the bonds is transferred into the immediate environment.
The chemical constitution of bone, besides cells, is about 30% collagen protein and 70% calcium phosphate. The protein is used as a cement to stick together the phosphate salts, which provide the bone's strength.
DNA is a molecule that stores our genetic information, inherited from parents. It is made mostly of nucleotides, which are what actually code for traits, but the backbone is made of ribose sugars and phosphate groups. While the sugar and phosphate are genetically useless, they stick the molecule together and protect the information.
Cell membranes are arranged in a phospholipid bilayer. Phospholipids are a type of lipid that have, instead of three fatty acids on a glycerol, two fatty acids and a phosphate group. This gives them a hydrophobic area (fatty acids) and a hydrophilic area (the phosphate), so it can act as an emulsifier, which offers certain benefits for molecules to diffuse through the membrane, like water and oxygen.
