In: Chemistry
Which species has the lowest chemical potential in a resting muscle cell, ATP or ADP? Briefly explain your answer.
The chemical potential of a molecule is simply defined as the free energy per molecule. ATP is a high energy molecule and spontaneously hydrolyzes to give ADP, the lower energy form. The high energy of ATP can be attributed to the presence of two high energy bonds in ATP. The hydrolysis of ATP to ADP and inorganic phosphate is spontaneous with a standard free energy change, ΔG0 of -7.3 kcal/mol. Since the hydrolysis reaction has a high negative free energy change, therefore, the product must have a lower free energy (chemical potential) than the reactant. Therefore, ADP has the lowest chemical potential in a resting muscle cell.