磷是如何成为地球上生命的普遍成分的？剑桥大学和开普敦大学的研究人员可能为这一问题找到了答案，他们在实验室中重构了含有该元素的原始海水。

The problem of how phosphorus became a universal ingredient for life on Earth may have been solved by researchers from the University of Cambridge and the University of Cape Town, who have recreated primordial seawater containing the element in the lab.

他们的研究结果发表在《自然通讯》杂志上，表明海水可能是磷酸盐的来源，这意味着它可以在足够大的范围内为生命所利用，而不需要特殊的环境条件。

Their results, published in the journal Nature Communications, show that seawater might be the source of phosphate, meaning that it could have been available on a large enough scale for life without requiring special environmental conditions.

磷酸盐是组成生命的重要成分，是构成 DNA 和 RNA 的关键成分，但就其生物学重要性而言，它却是宇宙中含量最少的元素之一。当以矿物形式存在时，磷酸盐很难溶解在水中，因此生命才得以利用。

Phosphate is an essential ingredient in creating life’s building blocks — forming a key component of DNA and RNA — but it is one of the least abundant elements in the cosmos in relation to its biological importance. When in its mineral form, phosphate can be hard to dissolve in water so that life can use it.