11/6/2017

ATP
Structure And
Function
SS 140
WEEK 12

Lesson Objectives

• Understand the role of ATP as energy currency of

biological processes.
• Describe the energy donor and energy receiver cycle.

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What is ATP?
Adenosine Triphosphate
Adenine
• Chemical compound found in DNA, RNA and ATP.
• Important building block of living organisms.
Ribose
• CHO – 5 carbon sugar
Phosphate
• Inorganic chemical
• Charge particle that contains the mineral phosphorus

Why is ATP important?

It is the body’s
ENERGY CURRENCY
that powers all forms of biologic work.

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Just like cash…

We spend ATP to produce work and function properly.

We need constant supply of ATP, through resynthesis from

ADP, for the proper functioning of cells, tissues and organs
and organ systems.

We need ATP to build, adapt and increase PE of our body.

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Why is ATP important?

The energy released from the outermost phosphate bond, the
release of a phosphate ion(Pi), produces approx. 7.3kcal of
free energy.

Energy donor – Energy receiver cycle

Extract PE from food and conserve it within
the bonds of ATP.
and
Extract and transfer the chemical energy in
ATP to power biologic work.

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Why is ATP important?

• ATP phosphate bonds ‘traps’ large portion of PE from food
molecules.
• Serves as the ideal energy transfer agent.
*energy donor – energy receiver cycle
• The PE within the ATP molecule powers all of the cell’s
energy-requiring processes.
• ATP also provides energy to other compound to raise
them to a higher activation level (anabolism). see previous image

Why is ATP important?

The energy released from ATP breakdown directly
transfers to other energy-requiring molecules.
• Muscles – provision of energy for contractile elements to
activate shortening of muscle fibers.
• Tissue synthesis – provision of energy for repairing and
building cells and tissues.
• Biological processes – activation of glands, nerves, etc…

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Why is ATP important?

Cells need energy from ATP for…
• Chemical reactions
• Movement (muscle contraction)
• Repair
• Cell division
• Growth
• Warmth

More about ATP

• Splitting or deriving E from ATP does not need O 2 –
happens anaerobically for rapid use.

Why is this important?

Imagine if you need O2 before using ATP… how will you run
away from a dangerous situation.

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ATP: A Limited Currency

Cells only store a small amount of ATP and must
continually resynthesize it at its rate of use.

But why?!

This design provides a biologically useful

mechanism for regulating energy metabolism.

ATP: A Limited Currency

1. Small amount of ATP provides sensitivity to
relative changes in ATP and ADP concentration.
• Any increase in energy requirement immediately
disrupts the balance.

↑Energy requirement(mechanical work)=

↓ATP &↑ADP =
↑breakdown of stored energy

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ATP: A Limited Currency

• Diverse systems for energy
transfer increase rapidly
when movement begins.
• Increase in energy transfer
depends on exercise
intensity.
examples:
- From sitting to walking: ↑ E transfer
by 4x
- From walk to all-out sprint: ↑ 120x

ATP-ADP imbalance activates other energy pathways

The body maintains continuous
ATP supply through different
metabolic pathways.
Within the cell…
• Cytosol – pathways for ATP
production from anaerobic
breakdown of PCr, glucose,
glycerol, and deaminated
amino acids.
• Mitochondria – aerobic ATP
generation pathways through
the citric acid cycle, B-
oxidation, and respiratory
chain.

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ATP: A Limited Currency

2. ATP is Bulky
- ATP is relatively of heavy weight in relation to other
molecular structures.
- limited amounts due to its heavy mass. Power/weight ratio
- the body only stores 80-100g of ATP
- approximately 2.4mmol of ATP per kg of wet muscle weight
every second.
- enough intramuscular E to power several seconds of
explosive, all-out exercise.

Bulky ATP
Biochemists estimate that…
• The amount of ATP that a sedentary person resynthesizes
each day equal to about…
75% of body mass!

• For an endurance athlete in a running for 2.5 hours in an

endurance race, generating 20x resting energy expenditure,
would resynthesize…
about 80kg of ATP!

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Summary
• Adenosine Triphosphate is composed of an Adenine
compound, Ribose(sugar) and 3 inorganic phosphates
• ATP is our body’s energy currency that powers biologic work.
• The cells use the energy release from the breakdown of ATP
to ADP + Pi.
• PE from food resynthesizes ADP + Pi back to ATP.
• Splitting of energy from ATP does not need O2.
• Our body only stores a little amount of ATP making it
sensitive to changes in ATP and ADP balance.
• Imbalance in ATP and ADP level immediately triggers other
systems for energy transfer.
• ATP is quite bulky.

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