ATP: The Molecule That Keeps Us Alive
Adenosine Triphosphate Everything we think, everything we do — our whole existence — depends on using and synthesizing ATP. ATP is the fundamental energy-carrying molecule that keeps us alive. Without ATP, we are nothing but inert matter. Often called the “energy currency” of the cell, ATP is like money in the real world: it pays for all the work happening inside us. ATP is built from three parts: adenine, ribose, and a chain of three phosphate groups. The key to its function is this triphosphate tail — the bonds between the phosphate groups store a lot of potential chemical energy. ...