Inorganic phosphate is a vital constituent of cells and cell membranes, body fluids, and hard tissues. It is a major intracellular divalent anion, participates in many genetic, energy and intermediary metabolic pathways, and is important for bone health. Although we usually think of phosphate mostly in terms of its level in the serum, it is needed for many biological and structural functions of the body. Availability of adequate calcium and inorganic phosphate in the right proportions at the right place is essential for proper acquisition, biomineralization, and maintenance of mass and strength of the skeleton. The three specialized mineralized tissues, bones, teeth, and ossicles, differ from all other tissues in the human body because of their unique ability to mineralize, and the degree and process of mineralization in these tissues also differ to suit the specific functions: locomotion, chewing, and hearing, respectively. Biomineralization is a dynamic, complex, and lifelong process by which precipitations of inorganic calcium and inorganic phosphate divalent ions form biological hard tissues. Understanding the biomineralization process is important for the management of diseases caused by both defective and abnormal mineralization. Hypophosphatemia results in mineralization defects and osteomalacia, and hyperphosphatemia is implicated in abnormal excess calcification and/or ossification, but the exact mechanisms underlying these processes are not fully understood. In this review, we summarize available evidence on the role of phosphate in biomineralization. Other manuscripts in this issue of the journal deal with other relevant aspects of phosphate homeostasis, phosphate signaling and sensing, and disorders resulting from hypo- and hyperphosphatemic states.

无机磷酸盐是细胞和细胞膜，体液和硬组织的重要组成部分。它是一种主要的细胞内二价阴离子，参与许多遗传，能量和中间代谢途径，对骨骼健康非常重要。尽管我们通常以磷酸盐在血清中的含量为主要考虑因素，但它是人体许多生物学和结构功能所必需的。在正确的位置以适当的比例提供足够的钙和无机磷酸盐对于正确获取，生物矿化以及维持骨骼的质量和强度至关重要。三种专门矿化的组织（骨骼，牙齿和小骨）与人体所有其他组织不同，因为它们具有独特的矿化能力，这些组织中矿化的程度和过程也不同，以适应特定功能：分别运动，咀嚼和听觉。生物矿化是一个动态，复杂且终身的过程，无机钙和无机磷酸二价离子的沉淀通过该过程形成生物硬组织。了解生物矿化过程对于管理由不良矿化和异常矿化引起的疾病非常重要。低磷血症会导致矿化缺陷和骨软化症，而高磷血症会导致异常的过度钙化和/或骨化，但这些过程的确切机制尚不完全清楚。在这篇综述中，我们总结了磷酸盐在生物矿化中的作用的现有证据。该期杂志的其他手稿还涉及磷酸盐稳态，磷酸盐信号传导和传感以及低磷和高磷状态导致的疾病的其他相关方面。