Question

ATP stands for which of the following?
A. Adenosine Phosphate
B. Adenine Triphosphate
C. Adenosine Diphosphate
D. Adenosine Triphosphate

Answer 1

Hint: ATP is a molecule that is found in every living cell. It is known as the energy currency of the cell. It stores and provides energy to the cells for carrying out their activities. ATP is produced during metabolic processes such as photosynthesis, cellular respiration and fermentation inside a cell.

Complete answer:
- The body requires energy to perform its functions properly.
- This required energy is provided to the body by ATP molecules. ATP is the source of energy for each and every cell of the body. Most of the ATP is synthesized inside a cell organelle known as mitochondria.
- ATP is broken down by hydrolysis. Hydrolysis of ATP results in release of energy that can be readily used by the cell. Hydrolysis of ATP also helps to perform many cellular functions like cell signaling and synthesis of DNA/RNA.

- ATP is a type of Adenosine phosphate nucleotide. Adenosine phosphate nucleotides can be classified as ATP, ADP and other nucleotides depending on the number of phosphate groups. Adenosine phosphate nucleotide is formed of a nitrogenous base (adenine), a ribose sugar and variable number of phosphate groups. When a nitrogenous base adenine is attached to a pentose sugar, it becomes adenosine. An Adenosine nucleotide to which three phosphate groups are attached is called ATP, while an adenosine nucleotide to which two phosphate groups are attached is called ADP.
- As ATP is chemically made up of a adenosine attached to three phosphate groups, it is known as Adenosine Triphosphate.

- ADP stands for Adenosine Diphosphate. ADP is formed of a nitrogenous base (adenine), a ribose sugar and two phosphate groups. ADP is formed during breakdown or hydrolysis of ATP molecules. During hydrolysis a single ATP molecule splits by removing one of its phosphate groups and releasing ADP + Phosphate + Energy. The low energy ADP is recycled into high energy ATP by mitochondria by reattaching a free phosphate group to ADP.
- Adenine Triphosphate does not exist.

Hence, the correct answer is option (D).

Note: ATP stands for Adenosine Triphosphate. ATP belongs to Adenosine phosphate nucleotide. Chemically, an ATP molecule is composed of an adenine nitrogenous base, a pentose sugar and three phosphate groups.