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Revision as of 04:15, 3 September 2004 by 138.88.36.230 (talk)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)Glyphosate (N-(phosphonomethyl) glycine, C3H8NO5P) is used as a non-selective herbicide to kill weeds, especially perennials.
It kills plants by inhibiting their ability to make aromatic amino acids, which is an interesting target since only plants and microorganisms have this metabolic pathway. Some new crops have been bred to be resistant to it.
The name is a contraction of glycine, phospho-, and -ate. It was first sold by Monsanto under the tradename Roundup but is no longer under patent so is now marketed under various names.
Glyphosate is one of a number of herbicides used by the United States government to spray Colombian coca fields through Plan Colombia. Its health effects, effects on legal crops, and effectiveness in fighting the war on drugs have been disputed widely.