ATP-ADP CYCLE
 All life on Earth depends on the flow of energy through
ecosystems
 All energy on earth comes from the sun
 Autotrophs- make their own food
 Phototrophs- with light
 Chemotrophs- with chemicals
 Heterotrophs- cannot make their own food; gets
energy from food
 We measure the energy content of food in calories.
 Certain reactions break down these molecules to
release energy.
 All cells capture and use energy.
 Energy
 The ability to do work- to move matter
 Converted from one form to another
 Changes from within the biological system
 Never created nor destroyed
 Transformations are inefficient
 Stored in high-energy phosphate bonds
 Types of Energy
 Potential- chemical energy (stored in bonds),
concentration gradient across a membrane
 Kinetic- light, sound, movement of atoms and
molecules, muscle contraction
 Entropy- measure of the randomness, or disorder, of
the universe
 Metabolism- includes all chemical reactions in cells
 Chemical reactions absorb or release energy and
may require energy input or release energy.
 Photosynthesis- energy requiring reaction
 Cellular Respiration- energy releasing reaction
 We can’t use energy directly from food. We need to
store it and release it gradually. It is stored in
molecules of ATP.
 ATP is cellular energy currency.
 Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) is a nucleotide that
temporarily stores energy.
 It is a type of energy "currency" that can be "paid out"
as the cell needs it.
 All cells rely on the potential energy stored in ATP to
power chemical reactions.
 Removing the endmost phosphate group by
hydrolysis releases the potential energy stored in
ATP.
 The cell uses this energy to do work.
 ATP must then be reformed. Mitochondria release
energy from food, producing ATP from ADP.
 ATP synthesis is coupled with energy-releasing
reactions.
 ATP hydrolysis is coupled with energy-requiring
reactions.
 We get energy from ATP by breaking the high-energy
bonds between the last two phosphates in ATP.
 The process is called Hydrolysis (Adding H2O)
through an enzyme called ATPase.
 ATP is re-made through the reverse of the previous
process. Another enzyme, namely ATP Synthase, is
used.
 Storing Energy
 Add a phosphate to ADP
 ADP + phosphate + energy  ATP
 Cells can regenerate ATP from ADP as needed by
using the energy in foods like glucose.
 Releasing Energy
 Remove a phosphate from ATP
 ATP  ADP + phosphate + energy
 Transformation of Energy
 Thermodynamics is the study of the flow and
transformation of energy in the universe.
 Laws of Thermodynamics
 First law- Energy can be converted from one form
to another, but it cannot be created nor
destroyed.
 Second law- Energy cannot be converted without
the loss of usable energy.
 Carbohydrates
 Most commonly broken down to make ATP
 Not stored in large amounts
 Up to 36 ATP from one glucose molecule
 4 calories per mg
 Lipids
 Store the most energy
 80% of energy in your body
 About 146 ATP from a triglyceride
 9 calories per mg
 Proteins
 Least likely to be broken down to make ATP
 Amino acids not usually needed for energy
 About the same amount of energy as a carbs
 4 calories per mg
 Cells convert molecules chemically using cellular
energy.
 Metabolic Reactions
 All chemical reactions in organism
 Catabolic- breaks down molecules
 Anabolic- builds up molecules
 Chemical Reactions
 Process that makes and breaks chemical bonds
 Exergonic- releases energy
 Endergonic- requires energy