2.3 Energy and ATP

• What is the full name of ATP?

  Adenosine triphosphate
• What are the components of ATP?

  Ribose, adenine, and three phosphate groups
• What happens when ATP is hydrolysed?

  It forms ADP and a phosphate molecule
• What enzyme catalyses the hydrolysis of ATP?

  ATP hydrolase
• Where does the energy released during ATP hydrolysis come from?

  From the bonds between the phosphate molecules
• Why do the bonds in ATP have low activation energy?

  They are very unstable
• What is the significance of the inorganic phosphate released during ATP hydrolysis?

  It can phosphorylate other compounds
• What process produces ATP from ADP and inorganic phosphate?

  Condensation catalysed by ATP synthase
• What are the properties of ATP?

  • Immediate source of energy
  • More desirable than glucose for energy release
  • Not stored in large quantities
  • Easily reformed from ADP in seconds
  • Used in metabolic processes, movement, active transport, secretion, and activation of molecules
• Why is ATP preferred over glucose for energy release?

  It can be broken down in a single step
• How quickly can ATP be reformed from ADP?

  In seconds
• In what processes is ATP used?

  Metabolic processes, movement, active transport, secretion