orthophosphate
OR-tho-fos-fayt
Definition
A chemical derivative of phosphoric acid that contains the phosphate ion, essential as a nutrient for biological processes.
Etymology
Derived from the Greek 'orthos' (meaning straight, correct, or standard) and 'phosphate' (from phosphorus, from Greek 'phosphoros' meaning 'light-bringing'). It describes a specific stable form of phosphate.
In the news
The article mentions orthophosphate as a salt found in Enceladus's ice grains, representing one of the chemical building blocks identified by scientists to assess the moon's potential habitability.
Enceladus sprays water, phosphates, molecular hydrogen and complex organics straight out of its buried ocean — and a 2025 analysis found previously unseen organic compounds in freshly ejected ice, adding still more steps to the chemical pathways that c
Read the full article ↗ScienceBlog.com