Why atp is such a high energy molecule

ATP Adenosine Triphosphate contains high energy bonds located between each phosphate group. These bonds are known as phosphoric anhydride bonds. ADP Adenosine Diphosphate also contains high energy bonds located between each phosphate group. It has the same structure as ATP, with one less phosphate group. It is strong enough to oxidize alcohol groups to carbonyl groups, while other electron acceptors like [FAD] are only able to oxidize saturated carbon chains from alkanes to alkenes.

Likewise, plants capture and store the energy they derive from light during photosynthesis in ATP molecules. ATP is a nucleotide consisting of an adenine base attached to a ribose sugar, which is attached to three phosphate groups. These three phosphate groups are linked to one another by two high-energy bonds called phosphoanhydride bonds. When one phosphate group is removed by breaking a phosphoanhydride bond in a process called hydrolysis, energy is released, and ATP is converted to adenosine diphosphate ADP.

The answer lies with an energy-supplying molecule called adenosine triphosphate, or ATP. ATP is a small, relatively simple molecule Figure , but within some of its bonds, it contains the potential for a quick burst of energy that can be harnessed to perform cellular work. This molecule can be thought of as the primary energy currency of cells in much the same way that money is the currency that people exchange for things they need.

ATP is used to power the majority of energy-requiring cellular reactions. As its name suggests, adenosine triphosphate is comprised of adenosine bound to three phosphate groups Figure.

Adenosine is a nucleoside consisting of the nitrogenous base adenine and a five-carbon sugar, ribose. The three phosphate groups, in order of closest to furthest from the ribose sugar, are labeled alpha, beta, and gamma. Together, these chemical groups constitute an energy powerhouse. However, not all bonds within this molecule exist in a particularly high-energy state. Both bonds that link the phosphates are equally high-energy bonds phosphoanhydride bonds that, when broken, release sufficient energy to power a variety of cellular reactions and processes.

These high-energy bonds are the bonds between the second and third or beta and gamma phosphate groups and between the first and second phosphate groups. Because this reaction takes place with the use of a water molecule, it is considered a hydrolysis reaction. Indeed, cells rely on the regeneration of ATP just as people rely on the regeneration of spent money through some sort of income. Used with permission from Wikipedia Commons.

Why is ATP hydrolysis an exergonic reaction? Therefore, due to thermodynamics , the reaction spontaneously occurs because it wants to be at a higher entropy level. Naturally, molecules want to be at a lower energy state, so equilibrium is shifted towards ADP.

Electrostatic repulsion of the four negative charges on the oxygens of the ATP molecule. Naturally, like charges repel and opposite charges attract. Therefore, if there are four negative charges in close proximity to one another, they will naturally repel each other. This makes ATP a relatively unstable molecule because it will want to give away its phosphate groups, when given the chance, in order to become a more stable molecule.

The oxygen molecules of the ADP are sharing electrons.