Question

Question #38109

Answer 1

Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) is a source of energy. It does not necessarily "have to do with glucose."

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ADENOSINE TRIPHOSPHATE

Just take off the hydrogens from the phosphate groups and you have ATP.

WHAT DOES IT DO?

ATP carries a "cargo," the cargo being a phosphate compound (`"PO"_4^(3-)`), which carries energy within its bonds. The more energy it has, the higher its phosphoryl transfer potential. Its phosphoryl transfer potential is about `-"30.5 kJ/mol"`.

ATP is supposed to give a phosphoryl group, but ATP alone CANNOT transfer phosphoryl groups. The transfer is thermodynamically favorable but kinetically unfavorable. That means it wants to transfer it but it's SUPER SLOW.

HOW DOES IT DO IT?

An enzyme speeds up the transfer and makes it kinetically favorable. A kinase is an enzyme that transfers a phosphoryl group from ATP to a substrate.

For instance, hexokinase (HK) phosphorylates glucose to turn it into glucose-6-phosphate. But, you can also have fructokinase (FK), which phosphorylates fructose to turn it into fructose-1-phosphate.