The Vital Role of ATP
- All organisms require a constant supply of energy to maintain their cells and stay alive
- This energy is required
- In anabolic reactions to build larger molecules from smaller molecules
- To move substances across the cell membrane in active transport, or to move substances within the cell
- In animals, energy is required
- For muscle contraction
- In the conduction of nerve impulses
- In all known forms of life, ATP from respiration is used to transfer energy in all energy-requiring processes in cells; this is why ATP is known as the universal energy currency
- Energy is released from ATP when it is broken down to ADP and inorganic phosphate
- This process is reversed during respiration to make ATP and maintain a supply of energy
- Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP) is a nucleotide
- The monomers of DNA and RNA are also nucleotides
ATP is the energy currency of cells
