Library · Molecule
ATP
Make it clearer
ATP, or adenosine triphosphate, is the main currency the cell pays with. It is built from three pieces: a base called adenine, a sugar called ribose, and three phosphates lined up one after another.
The energy is stored right there, in the bond that joins the second phosphate to the third. When that bond is broken by hydrolysis .. splitting it with water .. ATP becomes ADP, adenosine diphosphate, because it is left with one phosphate fewer. Breaking that bond is what releases the energy.
Cells use that energy to move ions from one side of their membranes to the other, to contract muscle, and to send the nerve impulse along.
And here is the part that surprises people most: the body breaks down 100 to 150 moles of ATP a day .. the mole is the unit chemists use to count molecules .. and it has to rebuild it nonstop. It is a paycheck that gets spent and earned again.
In brief
Adenosine triphosphate, or ATP, is the cell's main energy source: adenine, ribose, and three phosphates in a row.
The energy sits in the bond between the second and third phosphate; hydrolysis breaks it and ATP becomes ADP.
Cells use that energy to move ions, contract muscle, and carry the nerve impulse.
The body hydrolyzes 100 to 150 moles of ATP a day and has to replace it nonstop.
A paycheck that gets spent and earned again.
Sources (2)
- National Center for Biotechnology Information, StatPearls PublishingPhysiology, Adenosine Triphosphate, StatPearlsPublished
- OpenStax, Rice UniversityATP: Adenosine Triphosphate, Biology 2ePublished
This page explains the topic in general terms; it does not tell anyone what treatment to follow.
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