Glyphosate
Also called Phosphonomethylglycine.
The active ingredient in Roundup. It blocks EPSP synthase, an enzyme plants have and animals do not, and crops given a resistant form of that enzyme can be sprayed with it.
Sources and notes
- The introductionfrom sourceMoleculeFinder curated
- Other namesfrom sourceWikidataIts English label and aliases on Wikidata.
- Formula and weightcomputedPubChem
- 2D drawingcomputedPubChem structure, drawn by RDKit
- 3D modelfrom sourcePubChem 3D conformerLoaded after the page has painted, and on a phone only when you ask for it; the 2D drawing shows until it arrives.
Where you encounter it
Glyphosate on our curated lists.
Household
Sources and notes
- Our curated lists and their amountsfrom sourceMoleculeFinder curatedEach amount is an editorial figure from our food and drink lists, not a measurement of any one product.
- How it gets therefrom sourceMoleculeFinder curatedEach mark is set by hand on our lists, never inferred; a label's ingredient is added by the maker. A row with no mark data says Not marked.
Explore its structure
Choose a part to light it up.
A carbon carrying both a C=O and an O-H, written COOH. In water it gives up that hydrogen, which is what makes the molecule an acid.
From: standard chemistry.
A nitrogen carrying one or two hydrogens. Its spare pair of electrons can pick up a hydrogen ion, so an amine is a base.
From: standard chemistry.
Sources and notes
- The drawingcomputedPubChem structure, drawn by RDKitThe page's one shipped drawing, with the chosen part lit in amber under it.
- The partscomputedFound by ruleEach part is found by a chemical pattern, never picked by hand atom by atom; its words say where they come from.
Properties and sources
Calculated by PubChem
- Molecular formula
- C3H8NO5P
- Molecular weight
- 169.07 g/mol
- XLogP3octanol/water, log units
- −4.6
- Polar surface areatopological
- 107 Ų
- H-bond donors
- 4
- H-bond acceptors
- 6
- Rotatable bonds
- 4
- Complexity
- 162
Measured LD50, HSDB via PubChem
1,568 mg/kg pure glyphosate, mouse, oral
An LD50 is an animal study measurement, not a dose for a person.
Reported Hazard label (GHS), ECHA, EU CLP Regulation, Safe Work Australia, HSDB via PubChem
Danger Corrosive pictogram (GHS05) and Environmental pictogram (GHS09); hazard statements H318, H401, H411
Groups it belongs to
- Category
- Everyday chemistry
- Chemical groups
- Carboxylic Acids, Amines, Phosphates
- Product lists
- Garden and pest control
- Elements
- Nitrogen, Phosphorus
- Hazard classes
- Corrosive, Environmental hazard, GHS Danger
C(C(=O)O)NCP(=O)(O)OPubChem CID 3496 · Wikidata Q407232 · InChIKey XDDAORKBJWWYJS-UHFFFAOYSA-N · Data refreshed
Questions
- What is Glyphosate?
- The active ingredient in Roundup. It blocks EPSP synthase, an enzyme plants have and animals do not, and crops given a resistant form of that enzyme can be sprayed with it.
- Where is Glyphosate found?
- Glyphosate is in these product groups: garden and pest control. from source
- How toxic is Glyphosate?
- The reported LD50 of Glyphosate is 1,568 mg/kg (mouse, oral). An LD50 is an animal study measurement, not a dose for a person. Its GHS hazard label carries the signal word Danger and the hazard pictograms Corrosive and Environmental. from sourcefrom source
- What kind of molecule is Glyphosate?
- Glyphosate has the formula C3H8NO5P and a molecular weight of 169.07 g/mol. MoleculeFinder files it in the everyday chemistry group. from sourcefrom sourcefrom source
- What else is Glyphosate called?
- Glyphosate is also called Phosphonomethylglycine. from source
Sources and notes
- Calculated valuescomputedPubChemComputed from the structure, so no laboratory conditions apply; complexity is PubChem's own structural score.
- LD50from sourceHSDB via PubChemOther values the sources report: rabbit, on the skin, 5,000 mg/kg. The page shows the one LD50 the site uses everywhere.
- Hazard labelfrom sourceECHA, EU CLP Regulation, Safe Work Australia, HSDB via PubChemThe label combines these classifications.
- ECHAfrom sourceAttributionSource: European Chemicals Agency, echa.europa.eu.
- EU CLP Regulationfrom sourceAttributionSource: EUR-Lex, Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008, © European Union.
- Safe Work Australiafrom sourceAttributionSource: Safe Work Australia, Hazardous Chemical Information System, © Commonwealth of Australia, CC BY 4.0.
- Data refreshedfrom sourceMoleculeFinder2026-11-09