Where is the energy stored in a molecule of ATP and how is it released? (10 points, I promise)?

Question

Where is the energy stored in a molecule of ATP and how is it released? (10 points, I promise)?

Answer 1

It's stored in chemical bonds because they are high-energy bonds - you need big amount of energy to create them and when you are destroying them the energy will be released.

It's released by hydrolysis - by separating ATP into ADP and P or AMP and PP.

Answer 2

ATP is made up of a molecule of adenosine with three phosphate groups attached in a linear arrangement.

The bond attaching the phosphate groups are high energy bonds.

In energy requiring reactions the terminal bond is broken releasing energy for the reaction and forming ADP (adenosine diphosphate) :

ATP .......> ADP  + Pi (Inorganic phosphate) + ENERGY

This reaction is reversible and energy producing reactions build up ATP from ADP + Pi.

Hope this helps!

Answer 3

Bond formation releases energy. Bond-breaking requires energy. And if you think about it, this makes more sense. How would you ever break a bond without energy? You have to put energy into the system to break a bond.

Biological cells maintain the ratio of ATP to ADP at a point ten orders of magnitude from equilibrium, with ATP concentrations a thousandfold higher than the concentration of ADP. This displacement from equilibrium means that the hydrolysis of ATP in the cell releases a great amount of energy.

hope this makes more sense.

Answer 4

It's stored in the phosphodiester bond; when this bond is broken, the energy is released.