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Does ATP derive from a DNA or RNA nucleotide?

ATP is a nucleotide derivative. Do you think it is derived from a DNA nucleotide or from an RNA nucleotide? and why?
- You will learn more about this when you do A2 Biology, or at least we do in OCR. (Under respiration topic and so you don't need to know this until A2)

- ATP is produced (not derived) from the process of respiration.

-Respiration is made up of a few processes; glycolysis, the link reaction, the krebs cycle and oxidative phosphorylation.

Here is a brief summary of what happens overall:

1. Glucose reacts with 2 phosphate groups to make fructose 1,6 bisphosphate using Pi groups hydrolysised from 2 ATP. This then gets split into two triose phosphate molecules.

2. The 2 triose phosphate then gets converted into 2 pyruvate molecules which uses 2 NAD, 4 ADP and 4 Pi and produces 2 NADH and 4 ATP (a net gain of 2 as two are used in the process).

3. pyruvates get converted into acetate using 2 NAD and produces 2 NADH and 2 C02.

4. The acetate then combines with Co-enzyme A and forms acetyl Co-enzyme A.

5. acetyl co-enzyme A then enters the krebs cycle (cba to explain).

6. the krebs cycle and all the previous reactions form this NADH stuff.

7. This NADH gets re-oxidised to turn it back into NAD and so it produces H (hydrogen) molecules. these hydrogens get split into electrons and protons.

8. the electrons go down protein carriers in the mitochondrial membrane and they lose energy, this energy they lose is re-cycled into the chemiosmosis of protons into the inter membrane space of the mitochondria through proton protein channels. and the electrons combine with oxygen to form water.

9. they protons move from high to low concentration, but since they build up in the inter mitochondrial space they want to move back into the matrix so they have to do through the protein channels in the ATPsynthase.

10. the movement of the protons back into the matrix of the mitochondria provides the rotational energy needed for the ATPsynthase molecule to combine ADP and Pi, which produces ATP.

11. the ATP molecules are then used where needed in the cells.
(edited 7 years ago)

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