Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 27, 2026

Preparation and Reactivity of a Triphosphenium Bromide Salt: A Convenient and Stable Source of PhosphorusI
Published on: November 22, 2016
From phosphorous to arsenic: changing the classic paradigm for the structure of biomolecules
Ryan Knodle1, Pratima Agarwal2, Mark Brown3
1Department of Microbiology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523-1052, USA. knodle@rams.colostate.edu.
Abstract:
Biomolecules are composed primarily of the elements carbon, nitrogen, hydrogen, oxygen, sulfur, and phosphorus. The structured assembly of these elements forms the basis for proteins, nucleic acids and lipids. However, the recent discovery of a new bacterium, strain GFAJ-1 of the Halomonadaceae, has shaken the classic paradigms for the architecture of life. Mounting evidence supports the claim that these bacteria substitute arsenic for phosphorus in macromolecules. Herein, we provide a brief commentary and fuel the debate related to what may be a most unusual organism.
Related Concept Videos
The Phosphorus Cycle
Phosphodiester Linkages
Phosphodiester bond forms when a phosphoric acid molecule (H3PO4) links with two hydroxyl groups (–OH) of two other molecules, forming two ester bonds. Two water molecules are released in this process. The phosphodiester bond is commonly found in nucleic acids (DNA and RNA) and plays a critical role in their structure and function.
Phosphodiester Bonds Link Nucleotides Together
DNA and RNA are polynucleotides or long chains of nucleotides that are linked together. A nucleotide is...
Compounds Essential to Human Function
Inorganic Compounds Essential to Human Functioning
Inorganic compounds essential to human functioning include water, salts, acids, and bases. These compounds are inorganic, i.e., they do not have a carbon-hydrogen bond. Water...
Phosphoinositides and PIPs
Different phosphoinositides are synthesized and recruited on the cytosolic face of the plasma membrane. The localization of specific phosphoinositides concentrated in separate membrane...
Chirality at Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Sulfur
A consequence of chirality is the need for enantiomeric resolution. While this is theoretically possible for all...
Carbon Skeletons

