Question

Identify the high energy bond present in ATP.
A. C-O
B. C-C
C. C-N
D. P-O

Answer 1

Hint: The currency of energy in a cell is known as ATP [Adenosine triphosphate]. This ATP is a type of nucleotide that is formed by combining adenine, as a nitrogenous base with triphosphate and ribose sugar. The ATP is present in cells where energy production is required, through the breaking of the bonds.

Complete answer:
There are three phosphate groups present in ATP, among the three one phosphate is directly attached with the ribose through phosphate ester bond and is a low energy bond. The bond that is present between the two groups of phosphate is known as phosphor anhydride bond, and it is a high energy bond.

Since the constituent in the ATP is phosphate and oxygen. These phosphate bonds are high in energy, so they break down to generate ADP [Adenosine diphosphate] and AMP [Adenosine monophosphate]. This reaction is a type of hydrolysis that occurs in conditions where the pH of the environment is at the extreme. For providing energy for the metabolic functions, it gets dephosphorylated.

Therefore, it can be concluded that the highest energy bond in ATP is P-O.
Hence, the correct answer is option (D).

Note: The bond energy is also termed as average bond enthalpy or mean bond enthalpy. In a chemical bond, it is used to measure the strength of the bond. This bond energy can also be said as the average value of the gaseous phase, bond-dissociation energy, present in all types of bonds in similar chemical species.