Glyphosate is a broad-spectrum systemic herbicide and crop desiccant. It is an organ phosphorus compound, specifically a phosphonate. It is used to kill weeds, especially annual broadleaf weeds and grasses that compete with crops.
Glyphosate is absorbed through foliage, and minimally through roots and transported to growing points. It inhibits a plant enzyme involved in the synthesis of three aromatic amino acids: tyrosine, tryptophan, and phenylalanine.
In plants, glyphosate disrupts the shikimic acid pathway resulting in a deficiency of 5- enolpyruvylshikimate-3- phosphate production which leads to reductions in protein synthesis and plant growth, death of the plant occurs in 4-20 days. The median half-life of glyphosate in soil is between 2 and 197 days
Glyphosate-based formulations may contain a number of adjuvants, the identities of which are considered trade secrets. Surfactants are used in herbicide formulations as wetting agents, to maximize coverage and aid penetration of the herbicide(s) through plant leaves.
The acute oral LD50 in the rat is 5,600 mg/kg. Other oral LD50 values for glyphosate are 1,538 to greater than 10,000 mg/kg for mice, rabbit's mg/kg, and goats.