ATP: Mitocondria

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The different ways in which organisms use ATP Mitocondria are the sites of certain sites of respiration, in particular the Krebs cycle & the oxidative phosphorylation pathway. They are therefore responsible for the production of the carrier-energy molecule, ATP, from carbohydrates. Because of this, the number, amount of cristae and size of the mitochondria all increase in cells that have a high level of metabolic activity, therefore needing a plentiful supply of ATP. ATP (adenosine triphosphate), is a nucleotide that consists of 3 components; a 5-carbon sugar (ribose) , an organic base (adenine) and 3 phosphate groups. One of the stages in respiration is the Krebs cycle which produces reduced co-enzymes and ATP. This cycle involves…show more content…
The energy for this process is supplied by the hydrolysis of ATP using the enzyme ATPase and a specific protein channel in the membrane. Active transport is the movement of substances from where they are less concentrated to where they are more concentrated. It is undertaken by carrier proteins in cell membranes, which move specific molecules or ions against the concentration gradient using energy supplied by ATP. Cells have many adaptations to allow them to facilitate active transport; they may have carrier proteins in the cell surface membrane designed to transport particular molecules or ions or possess many mitochondria to supply the required ATP. Active transport requires energy in the form of ATP and protein carriers to move the molecules across the membrane. The ATP formed as part of respiration is used in a wide variety of contexts for biology. For example, in order for an animal to move and hunt for food within its environment, it has to contract muscle tissue. The tissue is composed of cells containing actin and myosin filaments which move relative to eachother to contract a sarcomere. For this to happen, actomyosin cross-bridges form between the actin and myosin. Once activates by calcium ions, the enzyme ATPase then hydrolyses ATP to ADP and Pi releasing energy which moves the myosin head to the side, pulling the actin filament along in a kind of rowing action. ATP also provides the energy to break the acto-myosin cross bridge so the myosin head detaches from the actin filament after its
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