phosphate molecule definition
Not to be confused with phosphate soda or phosphonate. A phosphate (PO3â. 4) is an inorganic chemical and a salt of phosphoric acid. In organic chemistry, a phosphate, or organophosphate, is an ester of phosphoric acid. Of the various phosphoric acids and phosphates, organic phosphates are important in biochemistry and biogeochemistry (ecology), and inorganic phosphates are mined to obtain phosphorus for use in agriculture and industry.