Final answer:
The main difference lies in the enzyme and removal process: phosphatases remove phosphate groups from phosphorylated amino acids in a protein, affecting its function, while deamination involves the removal of amino groups from amino acids, forming waste products such as ammonium or urea.
Step-by-step explanation:
The difference in terms of the order in which the phosphate and amino group are removed lies in the distinct processes they are part of.
A phosphatase is an enzyme that removes phosphate groups from phosphorylated amino acid residues in a protein, often leading to a conformational change that can activate or deactivate the protein's function.
In contrast, the process of deamination involves the removal of amino groups from amino acids, primarily through oxidative deamination in mammalian tissues where glutamate is the key amino acid involved, forming ammonium ion or urea, both of which are excreted.
Hence, while both processes involve removal of a group from molecules involved in various biological functions, phosphatases are specifically for removing phosphate groups, and deamination is for removing amino groups, with distinct end results and roles in cellular metabolism.
The removal of phosphate groups from ATP to form ADP and subsequently AMP is another instance where phosphatases play a role, providing energy for cellular processes through hydrolysis reactions.
This is a separate mechanism from the phosphorylation, where a phosphate group is added back to an organic compound, often using ATP as the substrate.