The critical molecule of the cell which is responsible for storing and transferring energy is ATP or adenosine 5’ triphosphate. Each ATP molecule consists of three components namely adenine, ribose sugar, and three phosphate groups.
Further Explanation:
The energy stored in the form of ATP can be used to perform the cellular processes by the cell. The plants store energy as ATP which is derived from the sun at the time of photosynthesis whereas, animals breakdown food in order to store energy in the form of ATP.
The phosphor-anhydride bonds are the high energy bonds which link the three phosphate groups together in the ATP molecule. The hydrolysis of this bond results in the release of energy along with the formation of adenosine diphosphate (ADP) from ATP. This released energy is used by the cell to perform the cellular functions or to convert an unfavorable reaction into the favorable one by transferring the energy to other molecules.
In a similar way, hydrolysis of ADP to form adenosine monophosphate (AMP) also results in the release of some energy with the removal of one more phosphate. The AMP can again be recycled into ATP or ADP to store energy by the formation of new phosphor-anhydride bonds. The constant interconversion of AMP, ADP, and ATP takes place within the cell due to their participation in the biological reactions.
Learn more:
1. Learn more about difference in DNA and RNA
2. Learn more about similarity between aerobic and anaerobic respiration
3. Learn more about site of protein synthesis
Answer Details:
Grade: High School
Subject: Biology
Chapter: Bioenergetics: The Role of ATP
Keywords:
ATP, ADP, AMP, components of ATP, phosphor-anhydride bonds, favorable reactions, unfavorable reactions, hydrolysis of ATP, biological reactions, ribose sugar.
