The Vital Role of ATP and Enzymes in Life - Essay Sample

Introduction

ATP (Adenosine triphosphate) is an energy-carrying molecule that is present in all living things cells. It captures energy in a chemical form that is obtained from food molecule breakdown and is used to propel the cellular process. While on the other hand, enzymes, which are typically proteins, help in the speeding of the body chemical process. The two (ATP and Enzymes) plays a critical role in the life of living things. Hence, this paper will address the importance of both ATP and enzymes in the body.

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ATP (Adenosine triphosphate) consists of molecule adenosine that is bounded to three groups of phosphate in a line. During the cellular respiration process, the chemical energy present in food is transformed into another chemical energy that can be used by the cell and stored in the form of ATP molecule whereby it is kept in the bonds of the second and third phosphate (Ohman et al., 2012). Energy is released from ATP through breaking the bond between the second and the third phosphate group, thus losing the third phosphate group.

Being a main source of energy, ATP is used in several cellular processes such as:

Active Transportation

ATP plays a very important role in macromolecules transportation such as the lipids and proteins into (endocytosis) and out (exocytosis) of the cell of an organism. The ATP hydrolysis generates the required energy that actively facilitates the transportation of the molecules across the concentration gradient.

Structural Maintenance

ATP plays a critical role in the preservation of the cell structure by assisting the cytoskeletal element. Further, ATP assists in supplying energy to the cell chromosomes and the flagella to appropriately maintain their functioning.

DNA and RNA Synthesis; The ATP adenosine acts as a building block of RNA, whereby it is added directly to the molecules of the RNA during the synthesis of RNA by the RNA polymerases. The pyrophosphate removal provides the required energy for this reaction.

Basically, the function mechanism of the enzymes catalase chemical reaction starts with substance binding on the active enzyme site, which is the enzymes specific region that combines with the substrate Barrett et al. (2012). This binding of the substrate to the enzyme region results in changes in electronic distribution in the substrate bond, thus causing a reaction that facilitates product formation. These products are released from the surface of the enzyme for the generation of another reaction cycle enzyme.

Specific enzymes perform the various role in the body of a living thing. For instance, enzyme lipase produced in the pancreases performs a very important function in the body, whereby the lipase enzyme breaks down fat into fatty acids as well as the glycerol that can be transported in water-based fluids such as the blood and lymph. The liquid-based components are used to provide energy through the body. The act of breaking of fat into soluble fatty acids helps in eliminating toxic substances such as the cholesterol from the body through converting them to the energy that is later used by the body.

Since the enzymes are responsible for controlling the speed of chemical reaction in the bodies of living things, their loss could result in slow reactions in various body processes to keep a living thing alive - enzymes like amylase help in breaking food molecules into small molecules. In case the amylose enzyme misses, the entire process of digestion would be prolonged since more time will be needed for digesting the unbroken food molecules.

Generally, both ATP and enzymes play a greater role in the day to day cell functioning of a living thing. They combine the functionality of the two gives the cell the total energy required in executing the body processes. The mechanism used in storing and release of the ATP plays a vital role in the cellular process, such as enhancing active transportation. While the functionality executed by various enzymes such as amylase facilitates to speeding of chemical processes in the body.

References

Barrett, A. J., Woessner, J. F., & Rawlings, N. D. (Eds.). (2012). Handbook of proteolytic enzymes (Vol. 1). Elsevier.

Ohman, J., Kudira, R., Albinsson, S., Olde, B., & Erlinge, D. (2012). Ticagrelor induces adenosine triphosphate release from human red blood cells. Biochemical and biophysical research communications, 418(4), 754-758. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbrc.2012.01.093