Phosphates

The phosphate minerals are characterized by way of the tetrahedral [PO4]three− unit, despite the fact that the structure can be generalized, and phosphorus is replaced by means of antimony, arsenic, or vanadium. The most common phosphate is the apatite group; not unusual species inside this organization are fluorapatite (Ca5(PO4)3F), chlorapatite (Ca5(PO4)3Cl) and hydroxylapatite (Ca5(PO4)3(OH)). Minerals on this group are the primary crystalline components of teeth and bones in vertebrates.