The Vital Role of ATP (Cambridge (CIE) AS Biology)

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