What would life be like without phosphorus?

Answer 1

I imagine it would be totally unlikely to exist as we know it, if at all.

Consider that:

1. Phosphorous is part of the ever important phospholipidbilayer of cell membranes. The individual cells ability to exist as a discrete unit, bound by a selectively permeable membrane is essential to it's function.
2. Phosphorous plays a major structural role in DNA and RNA. It is the phosphates forming diester linkages with ribose sugars that make up the DNA & RNA 'sugar-phosphate' backbone.
3. ATP (adenosine triphosphate) is the key form of energy driving biochemical reactions. (eg. cellular respiration, photosynthesis, muscle-movement and many many more important reactions).

So, imagine living organisms without functioning cells, DNA or energy?

This is just a few examples I can think of that would effect life without phosphorous.