How does ATP provide energy to cells?
Adenosine triphosphate, or ATP, is the primary carrier of energy in cells. The water-mediated reaction known as hydrolysis releases energy from the chemical bonds in ATP to fuel cellular processes.
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Transcript
NARRATOR: The molecule adenosine triphosphate, or ATP, provides the cells of all living things with chemical energy. ATP works as a shuttle, capturing energy from the breakdown of food and transferring it to the parts of the cell that require energy to run their processes.
ATP is comprised of three main structures: adenine, ribose, and a three-phosphate chain. The bonds between the phosphates contain available energy. When the bond between the second and the third phosphates is broken by the enzyme ATPase, this energy is released.
Energy is required for all the cell’s activities. This includes visible activities, such as muscle movement when running or talking, as well as those that cannot be seen by the human eye, such as the nerve impulses involved in thinking or feeling.
ATP is comprised of three main structures: adenine, ribose, and a three-phosphate chain. The bonds between the phosphates contain available energy. When the bond between the second and the third phosphates is broken by the enzyme ATPase, this energy is released.
Energy is required for all the cell’s activities. This includes visible activities, such as muscle movement when running or talking, as well as those that cannot be seen by the human eye, such as the nerve impulses involved in thinking or feeling.
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