• Question: What is ATP?

    Asked by blitz to Caroline on 11 Jun 2012. This question was also asked by monique, dimyana.
    • Photo: Caroline Dalton

      Caroline Dalton answered on 11 Jun 2012:

      ATP (or to give it its long and complicated name, Adenosine-5′-triphosphate!) is used for energy by the cell. The cell makes it in mitochondria which are like little batteries, and then the cell can use it for all sorts of important processes in the cell which need energy, like when the cell needs to move or divide. It gets broken down when it is used as energy and so the mitochondria need to keep making more which is why the mitochondria are very important for the cell to survive.

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