AP BIOLOGY

Detailed explanation-1: -The correct answer: The molecule that contains more chemical potential energy is a. ATP. The ATP molecule is formed with three phosphate bonds among which two of the phosphate bonds are high energy phosphate bonds.

Detailed explanation-2: -ATP is an excellent energy storage molecule to use as “currency” due to the phosphate groups that link through phosphodiester bonds. These bonds are high energy because of the associated electronegative charges exerting a repelling force between the phosphate groups.

Detailed explanation-3: -Glucose has the highest potential energy because, compared to the other options provided, it has more chemical bonds and hence has more energy to carry out reactions. So, when at rest, it has the maximum amount of energy.

Detailed explanation-4: -Given that the oxidation of, for example, glucose ( C6H12O6 ) by cellular respiration can produce 38 ATP, it would follow that there is more energy in a molecule of sugar than a molecule of ATP.

Detailed explanation-5: -This chemical energy is stored in the pyrophosphate bond, which lies between the last two phosphate groups of ATP. When the cells need energy to do any work, ATP cleaves the third phosphate group, releasing a large amount of energy stored in the bond between the third and second phosphate group.