What do ATP and ADP mean? What are the roles of these molecules for the cellular energetic metabolism?
ATP is an abbreviation of adenosine triphosphate, a molecule made of adenosine bound to three inorganic phosphates. ADP is an abbreviation of adenosine diphosphate, two molecules of phosphate bound to adenosine. ATP is a molecule that stores energy for the cell. When ATP hydrolyzes and becomes ADP energy is liberated and then consumed by several metabolic reactions of the organism.
