ATP Flashcards
What does ATP do?
ATP is a very important biological molecule. It stores then releases energy.
What is ATP’s structure?
It’s structure is a modified form of a nucleotide, it’s made up of adenine, ribose sugar and 3 phosphates groups. It stands for adenosinetriphosphate.
How is it broken down and into what?
It’s broken down by a hydrolysis reaction to ADP and Pi. It’s created by a condensation reaction.
What two enzymes are involved is speeding up these reactions and how?
There are two enzymes involved in speeding up these reactions by lowering the activation energy. The hydrolysis reaction is catalysed by ATP hydrolase and the condensation reaction is catalysed by ATP synthase.
How is ATP formed?
It’s formed by plants and animals during respiration. It’s also formed during photosynthesis and it is used up when it is broken down by hydrolysis.
Why is ATP broken down by hydrolysis?
- to release energy for another reaction e.g. protein synthesis
- to provide a phosphate for another reaction e.g. glycolysis.
Hydrolysis of ATP can be coupled to energy requiring reactions.
What happens when ATP is hydrolysed?
It releases a small quantity of energy quickly in a single reaction. This small quantity of energy is suitable for metabolic processes.
Which metabolic processes is the small amount of energy released during hydrolysis of ATP suitable for?
- protein synthesis
- active transport
- DNA replication
- cell division
Can ATP be stored?
ATP can’t be stored however, it is for immediate use only. The molecule is unstable and can’t leave the cell it is made in.
What can the inorganic phosphates released by hydrolysis be used for?
To phosphorylate other compounds making them more reactive. This happens at the start of glycolysis, part of respiration and makes g,uncles more reactive for the next step in the process
