Scribd
Upload
242 views

lesson-4-Role-of-ATP-in-Energy-Coupling-and-Transfer (1) Energy

ATP (Adenosine Triphosphate) is the molecule that cells use to store and transport chemical energy. When a cell needs energy, ATP is broken down through hydrolysis to ADP (Adenosine Diphosphate) and inorganic phosphate, releasing energy. Cells are then able to use this energy to power various tasks. The energy from food is harvested through cellular respiration and used to combine ADP and phosphate into ATP, an endergonic reaction that requires energy. In this way, cells are able to regenerate ATP through an exergonic reaction in order to fuel various endergonic reactions and processes required for cell function and survival.

Uploaded by

Kivo Zoshikoro
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
242 views

lesson-4-Role-of-ATP-in-Energy-Coupling-and-Transfer (1) Energy

ATP (Adenosine Triphosphate) is the molecule that cells use to store and transport chemical energy. When a cell needs energy, ATP is broken down through hydrolysis to ADP (Adenosine Diphosphate) and inorganic phosphate, releasing energy. Cells are then able to use this energy to power various tasks. The energy from food is harvested through cellular respiration and used to combine ADP and phosphate into ATP, an endergonic reaction that requires energy. In this way, cells are able to regenerate ATP through an exergonic reaction in order to fuel various endergonic reactions and processes required for cell function and survival.

Uploaded by

Kivo Zoshikoro
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 10

Role of ATP in

Energy Coupling and


Transfer
• Every single organism whether microscopic or
macroscopic needs energy to survive. When you read,
you need energy; when you talk, you need energy; and
even when you sleep, you need energy. Similarly, all
your cells in the body need energy to do all its tasks.
• All organisms, whether autotrophic or heterotrophic
need to harvest energy from the food that they create
or take. The chemical energy from the food is
harvested and stored in ATP through the process of
cellular respiration
• ATP or Adenosine
Triphosphate is
composed of a nitrogenous
base adenine and a chain of
three phosphate groups
which are both attached to
the ribose sugar
• When the cell needs energy, ATP is hydrolyzed (addition of water
molecule) resulting to ADP (Adenosine Diphosphate) and Pi
(inorganic phosphate group).
• Since the reaction released energy, this is considered as an
exergonic reaction. The equation below summarized the reaction

• You might be asking why only the terminal phosphate group is


detached from the molecule. This is because the bond between
the terminal and its adjacent phosphate group is weak. All these
three phosphate groups are all negatively charged and are
crowded together and their repulsion makes that part of the
molecule even more unstable.
• If energy is released from ATP and it yields to ADP an
Pi , you are maybe wondering how come we never
run out of ATP? The answer is: Our cell stores energy
from the food that we eat as it combines ADP and Pi
again resulting to ATP formation. This reaction is an
example of an endergonic reaction since energy is
absorbed.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H1KnVFOhAPs
• Is the use of an exergonic reaction to fuel an
endergonic reaction
• Endergonic reaction absorbed/takes in energy always
nonspontaneous
• Exergonic reaction releases energy and is always
spontaneous
As mentioned a while ago, a cell requires energy to do its
tasks. These tasks are categorized into three works:
. This includes the contraction of our
muscle cells, movement of chromosomes and the beating
of cilia or flagella.
. Ions (such as potassium ions, sodium
ions and chlorine ions) and other substances need to be
transported across the cell membrane.
. To synthesize materials like proteins,
lipids and other biomolecules or to drive endergonic
reactions
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tALtdmNUe78

You might also like