ATP (adenosine triphosphate) is the energy currency of the cell. It supplies energy for all the cellular activities. It is made up of a adenosine molecule and three phosphate groups (Pi).
The energy in ATP is stored in the three phosphate bonds of the high energy compound. The bonds between the phosphate groups is called the phosphoanhydride bond. During any cellular activity, the energy is supplied by the breakdown of a phosphate bond releasing the stored energy. This approximately releases 30. 5 kj/mol of energy and producing ADP (adenosine diphosphate) and an inorganic phosphate. This breakdown of ATP to release the stored energy within its high energy phosphate bonds is called ATP hydrolysis. It is catalysed by the enzyme called the ATPase. Regeneration fof ATP is important as more number of ATP is consumed than the number of it being synthesized. Hence, it is a reversible process and the ADP produced is converted back to ATP through a process of phosphorylation.
