What does ATP stand for?

• A. Adenosine triphosphate
• B. Adenosine diphosphate
• C. Adenosine monophosphate
• D. Adenosine tetraphosphate

Answer: (A)

ATP stands for Adenosine triphosphate, the main energy-carrying molecule in cells. It consists of adenosine (adenine plus ribose) with three phosphate groups attached. Those three phosphate group bonds store a lot of energy, and when the terminal phosphate is released, energy is released to power processes like muscle movement, active transport, and biosynthetic reactions. The cycle is simple: ATP can be regenerated from ADP by adding a phosphate group, using energy from nutrients. The other names refer to molecules with fewer or more phosphate groups, not the usual energy-carrying molecule cells rely on.