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General
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general biology

ATP-ADP
CYCLE
CHAPTER III: ENERGY
TRANSFORMATION
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 Energy in
Cells
• Organisms need energy to carry out their essential life processes.
• Their cells obtain energy from the chemical bonds that hold together
certain organic compounds, such as carbohydrates.
• Cells use this energy to make ATP (adenosine triphosphate).

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ATP
Adenosine triphosphate- nucleotide derived from adenosine that occurs in
muscle tissue; the major source of energy for cellular reactions.

• ATP - is an organic molecule used for short-term energy storage and transport
in the cell.
• ATP serves as the primary energy source for the cell’s activities.
• When energy is needed somewhere in a cell, the chemical energy stored in
glucose is released and used tovisproduce
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ATPsio nmolecules.
• It has three components. At the center is a sugar molecule (ribose). Attached
to one side is a nitrogenous base (adenine), and to the other is a string of
phosphate groups.
Releasing
Energy
• To release the energy stored in ATP molecules, bonds between their
phosphate groups are broken through hydrolysis.
• Hydrolysis is a chemical reaction in which a water molecule splits another
molecule.
• As a result of hydrolysis, energy is released and ATP loses a phosphate to
become ADP (Adenosine diphosphate).

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Storing Energy
• Small amounts of energy can be stored in a cell by adding phosphate groups
to ADP molecules, producing ATP.
• ADP is constantly recombined with phosphate groups to form new
molecules of ATP to support the work of the cell.

vis io n / m is sio n Energy from breakdown of

biomolecules is absorbed
by the bond linking a free
phosphate to ADP.
Key concepts of ATP/ADP
Cycle
1. ATP contains MORE energy than ADP because it has more bonds.
2. When a phosphate is REMOVED energy is RELEASED.
3. When a phosphate is ADDED energy is NEEDED.

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 Thoughts to Ponder
To restore the third phosphate group that broke away from the second
phosphate group of an ATP molecule, a fuel source containing energy is
needed. This fuel can be obtained from the food that we eat. Thus, we should
never deprive ourselves of carbohydrates and lipids.
ATP couples anabolic and catabolic processes in the body. These processes are
regulated by certain hormones, whose balance is maintained by the circadian
rhythm. Any changes in the body’svis io n recognition
/ m is sio n of day and night (such as
regular nocturnal activities) may disrupt the regularity of the ATP cycle.
The secret behind the power of ATP lies in the breaking of the chemical bond
between the second and the third phosphate groups. When this happens, a large
amount of energy is released.
general biology

Photosynthesis
CHAPTER III: ENERGY
TRANSFORMATION
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 Photosynthesis
Photosynthesis- process that harness light energy from the sun to convert
carbon dioxide and water into glucose.

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Overall equation of Photosynthesis

Photosynthesis
Photosynthesis is a reduction-oxidation process
which involves the transfer of electrons between
atoms. Atoms are reduced when they gain electrons
and they are oxidized when they lose electrons.
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 How plants capture light?
Leaf is the primary organ of photosynthesis. The expanded and
flat shape of most leaves enables them to gather more light that
that is necessary for photosynthesis. The tiny pores found along
the undersurface of leaves, called stomata, facilitate the entry of
carbon dioxide and release of oxygen.
The chloroplast is the pigment-containing
vis io n / m is sio n organelle found in plant
cells. Its pigments absorbs sunlight, making photosynthesis
possible.
 The nature of light
Light is form of electromagnetic or radiation energy. A photon is a
particle of light that serves as discreet bundle of energy.
A beam of light has the power to remove electrons from certain
molecules creating an electrical current called photoelectric effect.
This happens when photons transfer energy to electrons. The
strength of the photoelectricviseffect depends
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on the wavelength of
light. The shorter the wavelength, the greater the amount of
energy. This is where chloroplasts come in, serving as
photoelectric devices.
 The nature of light
Pigments can absorb photons of specific wavelengths only. They reflect the
wavelengths that they can’t absorb. Chlorophyll a is the most important
pigment for photosynthesis, which absorbs mainly orange red and blue-violet
light rays and reflects green light. Chlorophyll b absorbs mainly orange and
blue light, and reflects yellow green. Carotenoid absorbs blue green light. It
passes the energy it absorbs to chlorophyll a.
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Structure of Chlorophyll

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 Light-Dependent Reaction: Converting Light to
 Light absorbed by chlorophyll
Chemical Energy
 Energy fixing reactions
 Convert light energy to make
ATP & NADPH which will be
used to drive the next stage
 The internal thylakoid
membrane contains wherevisthe io n / m is sio n
pigments are located contains
the structures that participate in
this reaction
 Light-Dependent Reaction: Converting Light to
 Light absorbed by chlorophyll
Chemical Energy
 Energy fixing reactions
 Convert light energy to make
ATP & NADPH which will be
used to drive the next stage
 The internal thylakoid
membrane contains wherevisthe io n / m is sio n
pigments are located contains
the structures that participate in
this reaction
Light-Independent Reaction: Capturing Carbon dioxide (CO2) to make
 “dark”/ light-independent reactions,
sugar
Calvin cycle (Melvin Calvin)
 Carbon dioxide is fixed into the sugar
glucose
 Uses ATP to convert inorganic
molecules to organic fuel containing
stored potential energy in the bonds
 Occurs in the stroma of the chloroplast
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 Dependent on the by-products of the
light-dependent reaction which are ATP
and NADPH
 Thoughts to Ponder
The energy is present initially as light. A photon of light hits chlorophyll,
causing an electron to be energized. The free electron travels through the
electron transport chain, and the energy of the electron is used to pump
hydrogen ions into the thylakoid space, transferring the energy into the
electrochemical gradient. The energy of the electrochemical gradient is used to
power ATP synthase, and the energy is transferred into a bond in the ATP
molecule. In addition, energy from another photon can be used to create a high-
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energy bond in the molecule NADPH.
The absorption of light energy is made possible by the pigments found in the
chloroplasts of leaf cells. This makes the leaves the most important part of the
plant because it is the site of photosynthesis.
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