Table 1.

Functions of phosphate

Form	Function
Hydroxyapatite	Bone structure
Phospholipids	Structure of cell membranes
Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and creatine phosphate	Energy storage and metabolism
Nucleic acids and nucleoproteins	Genetic translation
Phosphorylation of proteins	Key regulatory mechanism; activation of enzymes, cell-signaling cascade
2,3-Diphosphoglycerate	Modulates oxygen release by hemoglobin
Inorganic phosphate	Acid-base buffer