Question

Life requires energy capture, storage, and expenditure.

1. Describe two examples of the expenditure of energy in the form of ATP hydrolysis.

2. For each example, Describe the molecule that hydrolyzes the ATP Describe what the energy from ATP hydrolysis is used for in the animal

3. Predict what would occur if ATP was unavailable to the animal. Be specific.

Answer 1

1.) ATP hydrolysis is a reaction process by which chemical energy that has been stored in the phosphate bond in ATP molecule is released by splitting these bonds, for example in muscles, by producing work in the form of mechanical energy. To prevent the energy of ATP from dissipating and being wasted as heat, the energy is only released when it is hydrolyzed (split under the use of water) by enzymes called ATPases. All of our cells contain these enzyme. Two examples are muscle contraction and cell transport

2)  ATP hydrolysis is activated during during physical exercise and increases energy expenditure. Within two minutes of exercise, the body starts to supply working muscles with oxygen. When oxygen is present, aerobic respiration can take place to break down the glucose for ATP. This glucose can come from muscle cell, glycogen stored in the liver, fat reserves.
Hydrolysis ATP also help drive tansport of molecules across the plasma membrane. Sodium-potassium pumps use the energy derived from ATP hydrolysis to pump sodium and potassium ions across the cell membrane. When  ATP is hydrolyzed, it transfers its gamma phosphate to the pump protein in a process called phosphorylation( reaction in which there is addition of phosphate). The Na+/K+ pump gains the free energy and undergoes a conformational change, allowing it to release three Na+ to the outside of the cell. Two extracellular K+ ions bind to the protein, causing the protein to change shape again and discharge the phosphate. By donating free energy to the Na+/K+ pump, phosphorylation drives this reaction.

3) . ATP is the energy source in cells so if our bodies did not produce ATP then the processes of active transport, cellular respiration and so on would stop working. The cells would start to die and eventually so would the organism itself.