ABSTRACT
A small fraction of phosphorus, referred to as inorganic phosphate, functions in high-energy transfer reactions. An unusual phosphorus status is generally associated with a clinical or abnormal condition such as metabolic defects, inherited genetic defects, and tumors. Measuring phosphorus levels in the serum is essentially the only procedure available to evaluate phosphorus status. The number of factors that have been reported to alter plasma or serum phosphorus is too great to be within the scope of this review concerning methodology. In the diabetic, plasma phosphate levels may be quite variable since insulin injections tend to decrease the phosphorus in plasma. The mean intake of phosphorus is approximately 1,500 mg per day for the adult male and about 1,000 mg per day for the adult female. A phosphorus deficiency is usually the result of an abnormal metabolic conditions such as inherited genetic defects, hypoparathyroid disease, renal failure, or hypervitaminosis D.
