Phosphate

Phosphates are molecules with the chemical formula PO₄^-. The presence of a negative charge causes phosphates to act as a nucleophile; it seeks positive charge, therefore it is always found bound to other atoms or molecules. In organic systems the phosphate molecule is the form that bodily phosphorus is used mainly in the form of nucleic acids DNA and RNA and the nucleotides that form them.

DNA and RNA

In DNA and and RNA phosphates are used to build the phosphate-sugar backbone, which fixes the the nucleotide bases in place. This is achieved by the formation of a phosphodiester bond, in which the phosphate molecule react with a hydroxyl group on the ribose sugar forming a bond and releasing water as a biproduct. Without the phosphate attached, the molecule consisting of just the base and the ribose sugar or deoxyribose sugar is called a nucleoside as opposed to a nucleotide.

Metabolism

The nucleotides most notably ATP and GTP are all triphosphate molecules which are highly efficient at releasing energy. This is because of the three phosphate molecules bound closely together on the ATP or GTP molecule, the negative charges on each requiring a large amount of energy to overcome repulsive forces. The phosphodiester bonds between phosphates therefore have a high bond energy. This energy will be released as a result of phosphodiester bond hydrolysis;

ATP ^_> ADP + P_i  (P_i is an inorganic phosphate)

GTP ^_> GDP + P_i

The energy released from these bonds will be used for a cellular interaction such as a conformation shape change in  a protein in skeletal muscle contraction .

It is possible to recycle the ADP and inorganic phosphate using the respiration, where glucose sugars are broken down to produce energy to reform the phosphodiester bond between ADP and P_i, recycling the molecules and froming ATP to be used again as an intermediate for energy release.