What is ATP?

Join the Amoeba Sisters in this short video to explore what ATP is, how ATP is made, and how ATP can work! While this short video just covers the basics, check out further reading description to explore more.
Table of Contents:
00:00 Intro
0:40 Some Examples of ATP Uses in Cell Processes
1:14 What is ATP?
1:52 How do we get ATP?
3:05 How does ATP work?
Note: We received an excellent comment in an older video (about cellular respiration) that we want to also provide here. So while we- and many biology sources- mention the ATP bond breakdown (ATP hydrolysis) as an energy releasing event, this can lead to a misconception if just isolating the phosphate bond breaking alone. In ATP hydrolysis, energy is released in this exergonic reaction, but the reaction involves both the breaking and making of bonds. Energy is needed to BREAK the phosphate bond in ATP, but it is not as much as the energy released when new bonds are made.
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Factual References Checked for Video:
Zedalis, Julianne, and John Eggebrecht. Biology for AP® Courses. OpenStax, 2018, Adenosine Triphosphate openstax.org/books/biology-ap...
Reece, J. B., & Campbell, N. A. (2011). Campbell biology. Boston: Benjamin Cummings / Pearson.
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FURTHER READING SUGGESTIONS
Note: Remember, our video is just an introduction. To understand more about how ATP functions, check out these further reading suggestions that go into the chemistry that our video does not go into.
Learn about exergonic reactions, endergonic reactions, and free energy: openstax.org/books/biology-ap...
Sodium Potassium Pump from OpenStax (a great example of a pump that requires ATP): openstax.org/books/biology-ap...
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MUSIC:
Our intro music designed and performed by Jeremiah Cheshire.
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TRANSLATIONS:
Thank you so much to our translators!!
Huge thank you to:
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and
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[@AmoebaSisters]

Pinned Note: We received an excellent comment in an older video (about cellular respiration) that we want to *also* provide here. So while we- and many biology sources- mention the ATP bond breakdown (ATP hydrolysis) as an energy releasing event, this can lead to a misconception if just isolating the phosphate bond breaking alone. In ATP hydrolysis, energy is released in this exergonic reaction, but the reaction involves both the breaking and making of bonds. Energy is needed to BREAK the phosphate bond in ATP, but it is not as much as the energy released when new bonds are made.

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Hey can you increase the volume of your audio? Thank you

[@caylinsolomon7250]

As far as I understand, breaking bonds requires more energy than it releases, and building bonds releases more energy than it required. Therefore, more energy is released in the chloroplasts and mitochondria where ATP is actually synthesised, than where the energy is actually needed (cell division, active transport, muscular contraction etc.) Is that correct?

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Y’all gotta stop bullying the 3rd phosphate. It’s got feelings too.

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ameoba

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[@jaynobles.215]

Summary: Adenosine triphosphate, also known as ATP, is a nucleotide or nucleic acid that consists of a base, sugars, and 3 phosphates, hence the name. ATP is needed for transportation for cell, muscle contraction, and cell signaling or communication. ATP is generated by aerobic respiration or anaerobic respiration. The making of ATP is part of a cycle. The cycle goes hydrolyzation, loss of one phosphate, the release of energy, regenerate the phosphate, then repeat. ADP releases energy when it loses a phosphate and turns into the more stable ADP. This is not everything. Please reply with what you would want to be added.

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I love the image of ATP as pie. Great video!

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[@innerbalanceph]

Adenosine 5'-triphosphate, or ATP, is the principal molecule for storing and transferring energy in cells. ... ATP is a nucleotide consisting of an adenine base attached to a ribose sugar, which is attached to three phosphate groups. Most of the ATP in cells is produced by the enzyme ATP synthase, which converts ADP and phosphate to ATP. ATP synthase is located in the membrane of cellular structures called mitochondria; in plant cells, the enzyme also is found in chloroplasts. ... In eukaryotic cells the latter two processes occur within mitochondria. ATP is the primary energy-supplying molecule for living cells. ... The energy released from ATP hydrolysis into ADP + Pi performs cellular work. Cells use ATP to perform work by coupling ATP hydrolysis' exergonic reaction with endergonic reactions. ATP donates its phosphate group to another molecule via phosphorylation. The energy released from the hydrolysis of ATP into ADP is used to perform cellular work, usually by coupling the exergonic reaction of ATP hydrolysis with endergonic reactions.

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