ATP and ADP

Question 1

What is respiration?

Answer 1

This is when plants and animals release energy from glucose.

Question 2

What happens in respiration?

Answer 2

In respiration, energy released from glucose makes ATP (adenosine triphosphate)

ATP stores a lot of energy in its bonds between phosphate groups

This energy is released by hydrolysis reactions catalysed by ATP hydrolase which causes ATP to be broken down into ADP (adenosine diphosphate) -

a phosphate group has been broken off and energy is released giving energy directly to the cell

This freed phosphate can join in compound reactions (phosphorylation) which can make a compound more reactive (think of where Ph is on the reactivity scale) so acting indirectly.

ATP can be resynthesised by a condensation reaction catalysed by ATR synthase (ADP joins up with a free P to recreate ATP) - and the process repeats several times.

Question 3

Draw the ATP-ADP reaction -

Answer 3