1B ATP Flashcards
What does “ATP” stand for?
“ATP” stands for adenosine triphosphate.
ATP is an energy storage molecule. How is the energy in ATP stored?
The energy in ATP is stored in the high energy bonds between the phosphate groups.
ATP is a nucleotide derivative. What does this mean?
ATP is known as a nucleotide derivative because it is a modified form of a nucleotide -
in ATP’s case, it is a modified form of the nucleotide adenine.
The structure of ATP is shown on the right. Name the components labelled A, B and C.
A is the base adenine, B is the sugar ribose and C is a phosphate group.
What is ADP and how is it different to ATP?
ADP is adenosine diphosphate and it differs from ATP by having only two phosphates instead of three.
Describe the breakdown of ATP in a cell.
ATP is broken down by a hydrolysis reaction that is catalysed by ATP hydrolase (an enzyme). The products of this reaction are ADP and an inorganic phosphate, P.
How do cells make use of ATP hydrolysis?
ATP hydrolysis can be coupled (linked) to other energy-requiring reactions in the cell. The energy released from the breakage of the bonds in ATP is used to fuel the coupled reaction.
One of the products of ATP breakdown is inorganic phosphate. Explain how a cell could use this product.
A cell can use the inorganic phosphate for phosphorylation. This is where the inorganic phosphate is added to another compound in order to make it more reactive.
How is ATP re-synthesised from its products? Give two examples of processes in which this synthesis takes place.
ATP can be re-synthesised in a condensation reaction between ADP and P, catalysed by ATP synthase (another enzyme). This reaction happens during respiration and photosynthesis.
