Importance of ATP Flashcards
What is ATP known as?
The universal energy currency which is used in all living organisms in every cell. To carry energy from energy releasing reactions to energy consuming reactions it’s used to provide the energy for nearly all biochemical reactions in the cell.
When is it made?
When energy becomes available
When is it broken down?
When the cell needs energy such as biosynthesis, muscle contraction and powering the sodium and potassium pump.
What is substrate level phosphorylation?
ADP + Pi —-> ATP
Why is ATP suited to its role?
Inert.
Can pass out of the mitochondria into the cytoplasm. Releases energy efficiently.
Releases energy in usable quantities so little is wasted as heat.
Easily hydrolysed to release energy.
Readily reformed by phosphorylation.
What does ADP stand for?
Adenosine diphosphate
What happens when the bond break?
It releases energy. Energy is found between the second and third phosphate group.
How can energy be stored when it becomes available?
By adding a phosphate group to ADP to produce ATP
How does ATP become ADP?
By breaking the bond between the second and third phosphate group, releasing energy for cellular processes.
It is hydrolysed into ADP + Pi.
ATPase catalyses this reaction.
For everyone model of ATP hydrolyse how much energy is released?
30.6 KJ of energy
EXERGONIC
What reaction occurs for ADP to turn into ATP?
It requires a condensation reaction – phosphorylation requires an input of 30. 6 kJ of energy.
ENDERGONIC
How many enzymes are needed to convert ATP to ADP?
One enzyme in a single step so energy is released immediately.
How big a ATP molecules?
They are small soluble molecules which are easily transported within cells and across membranes.
What are the roles which require ATP?
Active transport – allows molecules to move against the concentration gradient.
Metabolic processes – synthesise large complex molecules from smaller ones e.g. protein synthesis. Movement – muscle contraction.
Nerve transmission – sodium and potassium pump along the axon membrane.
Secretion– Packaging and transporting secretory products into vesicles in cells.
