How is energy stored in ATP and how is it released from ATP?
The energy in the ATP molecule is stored in the bonds holding the phosphate molecules together. The phosphate groups can become ionized and have an overall negative charge associated with them. Like charges repel each other, so even though the three phosphate groups are bonded to each other there is a lot energy in the bonds holding them together because their like negative charges repel each other. When the bond holding the last phosphate to the rest of the molecule is broken releasing that phosphate, energy is released along with the phosphate group itself. That energy is just the right amount to do work in the cell. The overall reaction releasing energy form ATP looks like this: ATP ———> ADP + P + energy ADP stands for Adenosine diphosphate and the P stands for the phosphate group that was removed from the molecule. Functions of ATP: • Transport: Recall that ATP provides the energy for active transport, the moving of a substance from low concentration to high concentration. •
