ATP Synthase | Enzyme - Britannica

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ATP synthase is a crucial enzyme that generates adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the primary energy currency of cells. It is found in the membranes of mitochondria in animal and plant cells, and also in chloroplasts in plant cells.12

ATP synthase utilizes the energy from a proton gradient across the membrane to convert ADP and phosphate into ATP. This process, known as oxidative phosphorylation, is vital for cellular respiration and provides the energy needed for various cellular activities, including metabolic reactions, transport across membranes, and mechanical work. While ATP is constantly synthesized, it is not a storage molecule; that role is filled by carbohydrates and fats.21

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1. metabolism - ATP synthesis in mitochondria
2. adenosine triphosphate

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adenosine triphosphate

• In adenosine triphosphate

  …is produced by the enzyme ATP synthase, which converts ADP and phosphate to ATP. ATP synthase is located in the membrane of cellular structures called mitochondria; in plant cells, the enzyme also is found in chloroplasts. The central role of ATP in energy metabolism was discovered by Fritz Albert Lipmann…

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function in metabolism

• In metabolism: ATP synthesis in mitochondria

  …precise mechanism by which the ATP synthetase complex converts the energy stored in the electrical H+ gradient to the chemical bond energy in ATP is not well understood. The H+ gradient may power other endergonic (energy-requiring) processes besides ATP synthesis, such as the movement of bacterial cells and the transport…

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research of Walker

• In John Walker

  …late 1970s he began studying ATP synthase, an enzyme found on the inner membrane of the mitochondrion that aids in the synthesis of ATP, the carrier of chemical energy. Focusing on the chemical and structural composition of the enzyme, he determined the sequence of amino acids that make up the…

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