| organic compound containing a sugar or sugars |
| an elementary particle that is a fundamental constituent of matter and existing independently or as the component outside the nucleus of an atom |
phosphate phos·phate (fŏs'fāt')
n.
A salt or an ester of phosphoric acid. adj.
Containing the trivalent radical PO4.
| phosphate (fŏs'fāt') Pronunciation Key
A salt or ester of phosphoric acid, containing the group PO4. Phosphates are important in metabolism and are frequently used in fertilizers. |