Energy and Life
Chemical Energy and ATP
● Energy is the ability to do work (Lesson Overview)
● Cells use energy to build new molecules, contract muscles, and carry out active
transport (Lesson Overview)
● Without the ability to obtain and use energy, life would cease to exist (Lesson
Overview)
Why is ATP Useful to Cells?
● ATP can easily release and store energy by breaking and re-forming the bonds between
its phosphate groups (Lesson Overview)
● This characteristic of ATP makes it exceptionally useful as a basic energy source for all
cells (Lesson Overview)
Structure of ATP
● One of the most important compounds that cells use to store and release energy is
adenosine triphosphate (ATP) (Lesson Overview)
● ATP consists of adenine, a 5-carbon sugar called ribose, and three phosphate groups
(Lesson Overview)
Storing Energy
● Adenosine diphosphate (ADP) looks almost like ATP, except that it has two phosphate
groups instead of three (Lesson Overview)
● ADP contains some energy, but not as much as ATP (Lesson Overview)
● When a cell has energy available, it can store small amounts of it by adding phosphate
groups to ADP, producing ATP (Lesson Overview)
● ADP is like a rechargeable battery that powers the machinery of the cell (Lesson
Overview)
ADP ATP
Rechargable, less energy More energy
Releasing Energy
● Cells can release the energy stored in ATP by breaking the bonds between the second
and third phosphate groups (Lesson Overview)
● Because a cell can add or subtract these phosphate groups, it has an efficient way of
storing and releasing energy as needed (Lesson Overview)
Using Biochemical Energy
● One way cells use the energy provided by ATP is to carry out active transport (Lesson
Overview)
● Many cell membranes contain sodium-potassium pumps, and ATP provides the energy
that keeps these pumps working, maintaining a balance of ions on both sides of the cell
membrane (Lesson Overview)
● ATP powers movement, providing the energy for motor proteins that contract muscle and
power the movement of cilia and flagella (Lesson Overview)
● Energy from ATP powers the synthesis of proteins and responses to chemical signals at
the cell surface (Lesson Overview)
● ATP is not a good molecule for storing large amounts of energy over the long term, so it
is more efficient for cells to keep only a small supply of ATP on hand (Lesson Overview)
● Cells can regenerate ATP from ADP as needed by using the energy in foods like glucose
(Lesson Overview)
Heterotrophs and Autotrophs
Photosynthesis
● In the process of photosynthesis, plants convert the energy of sunlight into chemical
energy stored in the bonds of carbohydrates (Lesson Overview)
Heterotrophs
● Organisms that obtain food by consuming other living things are known as heterotrophs
(Lesson Overview)
● Some heterotrophs get their food by eating plants, while others obtain food from
plant-eating animals (Lesson Overview)
● Still other heterotrophs, such as mushrooms, obtain food by decomposing other
organisms (Lesson Overview)
Autotrophs
● Organisms that make their own food are called autotrophs (Lesson Overview)
● Plants, algae, and some bacteria are able to use light energy from the sun to produce
food (Lesson Overview)
● The process by which autotrophs use the energy of sunlight to produce high-energy
carbohydrates that can be used for food is known as photosynthesis (Lesson Overview)
Key Terms
Term Definition
ATP Adenosine triphosphate, a molecule that stores and releases energy in
cells
ADP Adenosine diphosphate, a molecule that can be converted to ATP to store
energy
Heterotroph An organism that obtains food by consuming other living things
Autotroph An organism that can produce its own food, typically through
photosynthesis
Photosynthesi The process by which autotrophs use the energy of sunlight to produce
s high-energy carbohydrates
