1: BIOLOGICAL MOLECULES - ATP Flashcards
Why is energy important?
needed for biological processes to occur (eg: active transport, DNA replication, cell division, protein synthesis)
What is ATP?
an energy store
What is ATP made up of?
- adenine
- a ribose sugar
- 3 phosphate groups
Why is ATP known as a nucleotide derivative?
because it is a modified form of a nucleotide
How does ATP store energy?
energy in ATP is stored in high energy bonds between phosphate groups
What happens when energy is needed by a cell?
- ATP is broken down into ADP and Pi (inorganic phosphate) via a hydrolysis reaction
- when the bond between the phosphate groups is broken, energy is released
What is the name of the enzyme that catalyses the hydrolysis of ATP?
ATP hydrolase
What can the released inorganic phosphate be used for?
can be added to another compound (phosphorylation) which often makes the compound more reactive
How can ATP be resynthesised?
condensation reaction between ADP and Pi
What are 2 examples of reactions in which ATP is resynthesised?
- photosynthesis
- respiration
What enzyme catalyses the condensation reaction between ADP and Pi to form ATP?
ATP synthase
Why is ATP a suitable energy source for cells?
- releases relatively small amounts of energy (manageable so little energy is lost as heat)
- only a single bond is hydrolysed (ATP can be rapidly resynthesised)
- doesn’t leave the cell (readily available)
