What Is Adenosine Diphosphate?
Adenosine diphosphate (ADP) is an organic molecule involved in the central part of the metabolism of the cell that generates energy. It is interconvertible with the cell’s energy currency, adenosine triphosphate (ATP). The conversion back and forth between these compounds is critical for maintaining energy levels in the cell. ATP has three phosphate groups that all have high-energy bonds. ATP is formed by the energy-intensive process of the addition of an inorganic phosphate group to ADP, which has two high-energy phosphate bonds. This creates an energy store for the cell. The cleavage of the phosphate bond from ATP, to produce ADP, releases energy that can be used in the cell’s metabolism.
