HealthAugust 5, 2026

phosphite

FOS-fayt

Definition

A salt or ester of phosphorous acid containing the PO3 group, identified in the article as a naturally occurring compound in hydrothermal vents.

Etymology

The word is derived from the chemical element phosphorus combined with the suffix '-ite,' which is used in chemical nomenclature to denote certain types of salts or anions.

In the news

The article suggests that phosphite may have acted as a chemical energy source for early life before organisms developed the ability to use ATP. This finding helps scientists explain how early metabolic reactions could function in primitive environments.

New Theory: Life on Earth May Have Arisen Twice Independently

Read the full article ↗

BGNES

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