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Discussion

Phosphorus vs Phosphate

Hi....

If any of you chemistry gurus can help out :bowingpur I'd be grateful!

I think this q got lost on my other thread since I asked it as an after thought...

Anyway are they the same or different and how so? I know Phosphate is PO4...however in my notes for fluid and electrolyte she said that Ca and Phosphorus work closely together and they are "buddies". Then in the section discussing phosphate she said that Ca and PO4 are inversely related (one increases/oth decreases) and that they are "enemies". So once again I'm confused! If they are the same how can they be friends and enemies?! :uhoh21: Maybe they just have some strange r'ship :lol:

thanks much

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  • Experts

Phosphorus is distributed throughout the body in the form of phosphate - 85% of the body's phosphorus is stored in the bones and the rest in other cells of the body - it's major roles are:

  • cellular metabolism, particularly in the ATP processes involved in supplying the body with energy
  • maintenance of cell membranes
  • formation of bones and teeth
  • release of oxygen from hemoglobin

It is absorbed by the intestines from dietary sources and excreted through the kidneys - must be replaced through dietary consumption - Phosphorus is regulated by parathormone (PTH)

  • NOTE: an inverse relationship exists between phosphorus and calcium, so high phosphate levels will lower calcium levels in the body and vice versa - a test for serum phosphate measures inorganic phosphate in the blood - most phosphorus in the body is bound in organic phosphate compounds

  • Author
Phosphorus is distributed throughout the body in the form of phosphate - 85% of the body's phosphorus is stored in the bones and the rest in other cells of the body - it's major roles are:

  • cellular metabolism, particularly in the ATP processes involved in supplying the body with energy
  • maintenance of cell membranes
  • formation of bones and teeth
  • release of oxygen from hemoglobin

It is absorbed by the intestines from dietary sources and excreted through the kidneys - must be replaced through dietary consumption - Phosphorus is regulated by parathormone (PTH)

  • NOTE: an inverse relationship exists between phosphorus and calcium, so high phosphate levels will lower calcium levels in the body and vice versa - a test for serum phosphate measures inorganic phosphate in the blood - most phosphorus in the body is bound in organic phosphate compounds

Ah, I see...so you're saying that they are "buddies/enemies" b/c they work together but it's always an inverse r'ship...sort of like they follow each other around but at a distance? I'm just confused why she said it like that...it'd be easier to veiw them like enemies!

  • Experts

i can only suggest that this stuff is immensely confusing to many of us. we all seek a way to clarify and simplify it. this "buddies/enemies" analogy is probably the way your instructor remembers it for herself. she probably sincerely believes she is helping you by passing this analogy on to you. i wouldn't fault her on it. but, if you can think of a different way that works for you, go with it.

fluid and electrolytes was a huge portion of my national certification exam in iv therapy. i failed the exam the first time i took it and it was by two questions. the biggest portion of questions i missed was in the fluid and electrolyte section. believed me, i studied up on this subject when i took the test the next year and passed it. part of my life journey of learning to study effectively.

in doing these charts that i'm working on, i've got 8 books that i'm using as references. for me, i have to read the information about 10 times before it sinks in. i try to find an analogy sometimes, but there are times when nothing comes to me. have you read my post on the inflammation response? when i originally was reviewing the material the one thing that came to mind was war and comparing the mast cells to hand grenades and so that is how i described it. water balloons could have also worked. others might not agree with it.

https://allnurses.com/forums/f50/histamine-effect-244836.html

I realize this is a very old post, but I liked the explanation. Rather than "friends and enemies", just think of Calcium and Phosphorus as partners that are trying to regulate a system. The system wants to be balanced, so if one goes up, the other goes down and vice versa. Like a teeter-totter or see-saw. :up:

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