Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP) Essay -- Biology

Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP) ATP stands for Adenosine Triphosphate and is the immediate supply of energy for biological processes. The ATP consists of an organic nitrogenous base, Adenosine, which is one of the four bases found in a DNA strand, it also consists of a ribose sugar with three phosphates joined by high energy bonds. The energy itself is stored in the form of high-energy chemical bonds; this energy is released on hydrolysis, i.e. by the reaction with water, in a similar way peptide bonds are hydrolysed in proteins. ATP is adapted to is highly suited to its function and role within living organisms as it is easily broken down and is thus a store for immediate energy; it is also a small molecule and can easily move around cells and through membranes. The production of ATP is usually associated with two principalities including respiration and mitochondria. It is common knowledge that respiration, which happens in all living organisms, produces energy and is expressed by the equation of: Glucose + Oxygen Carbon Dioxide + Water + Energy Respiration can be, aerobic, occurring in an oxygenated environment or anaerobic, occurring in oxygen lacking environments. The latter producing 2 molecules of ATP and the former producing between 36- 38 ATP molecules. The energy released from the respiration of glucose is used to add inorganic phosphate to ADP, producing ATP. This is achieved by glycolysis, krebs cycle and oxidative phosphorylation which are cumulatively known to be involved in aerobic cellular respiration. As we shall see, this process makes use of co-enzymes such as ADP and Dehydrogenases such as NAD+. Glycolysis occurs in the cytoplasm of a cell and involves the production of 2 molecules of pyruvate which occurs when glucose undergoes phosphorylation, lysis and then oxidation, yielding pyruvate and 2 molecules of ATP along with 2 molecules of reduced NAD. In aerobic respiration only the reduced NAD generated here enters a mitochondrion and goes into the electron transport chair where it is used to generate 6 molecules of ATP. Hence, the net ATP produced from glycolysis are 8 molecules of ATP. The next stage is krebs cycle which occurs in the matrix of the mitochondria, the resulting product from oxdative decarboxylation of pyruvate is progressively degraded by as series of reactions involving four dehydrogenations, two decarboxylations and ... ...P the hexose would not be formed and none of the compounds would be produced, thus the plant would not exist. ATP is used in active transport in plants, similar to the kidney in humans. The absorption of minerals, such as nitrates & phosphates require ATP, which are present in root hair cells. These nitrates and phosphates are used in protein and chlorophyll synthesis as well as synthesis of DNA, ATP and NADP, which are essential to the plants growth. However, the mineral salts which are carried in solution by the symplast or apoplast pathway need to cross the endodermal barrier, which is impermeable. They cross the endodermal barrier by active transport and continue their journey in solution as ions in the xylem. In conclusion, ATP is adapted to its function and is probably one of the most important molecules in biological processes; it is produced in the mitochondria but is used all over the human body and is equally important in plants, where it is produced in the thylakoids. ATP is essential for survival as it allows the growth of autotrophs and thus supports all the food chains in the world, and also is important in maintaining and controlling the human internal environment.