Why ATP Is Called The Currency Of Energy
Let’s talk about why ATP is called the currency of energy. The currency of energy in biological systems is called ATP, adenosine triphosphate.
An ATP is everything from bacteria to lizards to oak trees to Elephants, it doesn't matter. Adenosine triphosphate is three phosphates. Phosphate is just a molecule.
The last molecule is connected to the second one by high energy. So what happens is whatever needs that energy will grab an ATP and pull off that phosphate, and it releases all this energy in the form of electrons.
Now, what's very interesting is that, in order for a cell to function, it needs approximately one billion ATP at any given second, one billion ATP to function. Now, we have approximately 100 trillion cells in our body, and they all need 1 billion ATP.
The reason they do is that in our bodies, every second, that need is a number so very large, it’ a 1 with 21 zeroes behind it. That is the number of chemical reactions that are going on inside of our body every second.
Pretty incredible. Incomprehensible. These chemical reactions are going on in our body every second and all these things are working together in all that. Doesn't it make you wonder who's running the show?
It’s certainly not us. If we had to be in charge of our heart beating, we would be in trouble. we'd forget all the time. There's no way.
Now, what is a chemical reaction? All of them are enzyme-mediated.
An enzyme is necessary. In every aspect of biology is enzymes. Even oxygen leaving a red blood cell to go into the tissues where it's needed, you need an enzyme called 2,3-DPG. If you don't have that, the oxygen is not going to leave.
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