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Multiple Choice

Which substance is described as amorphous phosphates that do not redissolve in alkaline urine?

In urine sediment, the appearance and solubility of crystals depend on the urine’s pH. Amorphous phosphates are fine, powdery phosphate-containing particles that form in alkaline urine. A key feature is that they stay insoluble even when the urine is made more alkaline; they do not redissolve. This behavior distinguishes them from amorphous urates, which do dissolve in alkaline urine, and from other crystals like tyrosine or radiopaque dye, which have different contexts and appearances. So the description—amorphous phosphates that do not redissolve in alkaline urine—fits them perfectly.

In urine sediment, the appearance and solubility of crystals depend on the urine’s pH. Amorphous phosphates are fine, powdery phosphate-containing particles that form in alkaline urine. A key feature is that they stay insoluble even when the urine is made more alkaline; they do not redissolve. This behavior distinguishes them from amorphous urates, which do dissolve in alkaline urine, and from other crystals like tyrosine or radiopaque dye, which have different contexts and appearances. So the description—amorphous phosphates that do not redissolve in alkaline urine—fits them perfectly.