Ask the Chatbot Games & Quizzes History & Society Science & Tech Biographies Animals & Nature Geography & Travel Arts & Culture ProCon Money Videos

Adenosine triphosphate: Quick Facts

Written and fact-checked by
The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

The Information Architects maintain a master list of the topics included in the corpus of  Encyclopædia Britannica, and create and manage the relationships between them.
The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Facts

Also Known As ATP

Photos and Videos

Diagram showing the steps of ATP production in a cell, with glucose entering through the cell membrane, glycolysis in the cytoplasm, and further ATP generated inside a mitochondrion through the tricarboxylic acid cycle and oxidative phosphorylation.
Diagram showing the chemical structures of four small organic molecules: glucose (a sugar), glycine (an amino acid), myristic acid (a fatty acid), and adenosine triphosphate or ATP (a nucleotide), each labeled to illustrate their molecular composition and family.
Diagram of a cell membrane showing three types of membrane transport: simple diffusion of small molecules, facilitated diffusion through transporter proteins, and primary active transport using ATP to move molecules across the membrane. Labels identify the hydrophilic heads and hydrophobic tails of phospholipids, as well as extracellular and intracellular surfaces.
Diagram showing the process of cellular respiration, where glucose and oxygen are converted into carbon dioxide and water, with energy released as indicated by red arrows. The chemical equation C6H12O6 plus 6O2 yields 6CO2 plus 6H2O is displayed.
Diagram showing the transfer of phosphate groups in cellular metabolism, with high-energy donors like phosphoenolpyruvate, 1,3-diphosphoglycerate, and phosphocreatine passing phosphate to ADP to form ATP, which then donates phosphate to low-energy acceptors such as glucose and glycerol. Vertical axis represents phosphate-group potential.
How does ATP provide energy to cells?
How does your body convert food into energy?
The Process of Photosynthesis in Plants Explained
How Does Photosynthesis Work in Plants?
Dark reactions in photosynthesis explained
See All Videos and Images →

Related Topics and References

Topics
Dig Deeper: More Articles That Discuss This Topic

Key People

default image
John Walker
British chemist
default image
Jens C. Skou
Danish biophysicist
default image
Paul D. Boyer
American biochemist