Column V elements adsorbed on GaAs (110) exhibit strikingly different behavior than adsorbed column III elements in terms of the overlayers bonding to the semiconductor, the effect on the semiconductor surface lattice, and long-range order. A strong interaction between adatoms is found with submonolayer coverings of column III metals which leads to the formation of flat raftlike metallic patches. Unlike the column III metals, Sb adsorption produces large changes in the electronic states and atomic arrangement of the semiconductor surface lattice. An elementary view of the factors responsible for the different characteristics and effects of these overlayers on GaAs (110) is given, but its extension to other adatoms is shown to be limited. These results have strong relevance to current theoretical models of Al and Ga overlayers on GaAs (110), as well as to molecular beam epitaxy and Schottky barrier formation.