Phosphorus is a chemical element with symbol P and atomic number 15. As an element, phosphorus exists in two major forms—white phosphorus and red phosphorus—but due to its high reactivity, phosphorus is never found as a free element on Earth. Instead phosphorus-containing minerals are almost always present in their maximally oxidised state, as inorganic phosphate rocks.
Three reasons Phosphorus stands out
- 1
Essential for life, found in DNA.
- 2
Its white form glows in the dark, which is how it got its name meaning "light bearer" in Greek.
- 3
It was first discovered in 1669 by an alchemist who extracted it from evaporated human urine.
Life’s energetic middleman
Phosphorus atoms sit in DNA’s backbone and in ATP, the molecule cells use to move energy around. White phosphorus glows faintly as it reacts with air and can ignite spontaneously, whereas red phosphorus is far safer. Agriculture depends on phosphate fertilizers, but excess runoff can overwhelm waterways.