Phosphorus is the chemical element that has the symbol P. The name comes from the Greek: f?? (meaning "light") and f???? (meaning "bearer").

Phosphorus is a component of DNA and RNA and an essential element for all living cells. It is present in the body almost exclusively in the form of phosphate. Most of the body's phosphate is contained in bone. The rest is located primarily inside the cells, where it is involved in energy metabolism. Phosphate is necessary for the formation of bone and teeth.

References

Stefan Lange, Peer Schmidt, and Tom Nilges, Inorganic Chemistry, 2007, 46, 4028