Phosphorus-32

<p>Phosphorus-32 (32P) is a <a href="/facts/Radionuclide/5WpCfbdq">radioactive isotope</a> of <a href="/facts/Phosphorus/27xCeIqs">phosphorus</a>. The nucleus of phosphorus-32 contains 15 <a href="/facts/Proton/clCjepXP">protons</a> and 17 <a href="/facts/Neutron/oRCM1geb">neutrons</a>, one more neutron than the most common isotope of phosphorus, phosphorus-31. Phosphorus-32 only exists in small quantities on <a href="/facts/Earth/HLLmDfj0">Earth</a> as it has a short half-life of 14 days and so decays rapidly.
</p><p>Phosphorus is found in many <a href="/facts/Organic_molecule/gqCNaN45">organic molecules</a>, and so, phosphorus-32 has many applications in <a href="/facts/Medicine/2fnp90Je">medicine</a>, <a href="/facts/Biochemistry/fa2pWEBp">biochemistry</a>, and <a href="/facts/Molecular_biology/YgqU35ub">molecular biology</a> where it can be used to trace phosphorylated molecules (for example, in elucidating <a href="/facts/Metabolic_pathways/8Py8HKJd">metabolic pathways</a>) and radioactively label <a href="/facts/DNA/nB89Iauz">DNA</a> and <a href="/facts/RNA/HxPeNfNj">RNA</a>.
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Phosphorus-32 open-in-new

Phosphorus-32