What is the Full Form of ATP?

Q: What is the full form of ATP? 

Answer: ATP stands for Adenosine Triphosphate, which is a molecule that carries energy within the cells of all living organisms. It is basically an energy-carrying molecule of the cells and is an end product of the processes of photophosphorylation, cellular respiration, and fermentation. Not only is the ATP used as an energy source but also it is used in the signal transduction pathways for communication between the cells and is incorporated into DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) during the process of DNA synthesis. 

There are three types of tasks for which chemical energy is required by the cells, and these tasks are- to drive metabolic reactions that can’t occur automatically, to do mechanical work like moving muscles, and to transport the required substance across membranes. ATP is not a storage molecule for chemical energy; rather, it is the function of carbohydrates like glycogen and fats. When cells of a living organism need energy, it is converted from storage molecules into Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP). It is when ATP serves as a shuttle and delivers energy to the places within the cells where energy-consuming activities are being conducted. 

When talking about the structure of the ATP (Adenosine Triphosphate) is composed of the molecule adenosine and three phosphate groups. ATP is soluble in water. It is because of the connection between the two phosphoanhydride bonds and the three phosphate groups that Adenosine Triphosphate has high energy content. The phosphate tail of Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP) is researched as the actual power source which is tapped by the cells. It is the bonds between the phosphates where the available energy is contained and the same energy is released when they are broken, which occurs due to the process called hydrolysis (addition of a water molecule). To yield energy, usually, the outer phosphate is removed and when it takes place, ATP is converted to adenosine diphosphate (ADP), the form of nucleotide which has two phosphates.