Question

Read the following analogy: A sporting goods store might accept a $100 bill for the purchase of a bicycle, but the corner store will not take a $100 bill when you buy a pack of gum. That is why people often carry smaller denominations in their wallets - it makes everyday transactions easier. The same concept is true for the energy transactions in cells. Cells need energy (their "currency") to take care of everyday functions, and they need it in many denominations. As humans we eat food for energy, but food molecules provide too much energy for our cells to use all at once. For quick cellular transactions, your cells store energy in the small molecule ATP. This is analogous to a $1 bill for your cells' daily activities.

What part(s) of the ATP cycle are analogous to earning money?

Answer 1

The ATP cycle's resynthesis of ATP from ADP is similar to earning money, with ATP serving as the 'energy currency' for immediate cellular transactions, while glucose is like a high-denomination bill used for long-term energy storage.

Step-by-step explanation:

The part of the ATP cycle analogous to earning money would be the resynthesis of ATP from ADP through cellular processes like cellular respiration or photosynthesis. During these processes, energy from the breakdown of nutrients such as glucose is converted into the energy currency of cells, ATP, storing energy within its bonds. This is akin to working to earn wages, which is then exchanged for goods and services. Just as money is earned and used to facilitate transactions, ATP is generated and used to power various energy-requiring cellular reactions.

Why do we need both glucose and ATP? Glucose acts as a long-term energy storage molecule, much like a high-denomination banknote, whereas ATP is a smaller denomination of energy currency used for immediate transactions within the cell. Plants must create ATP from glucose through photosynthesis precisely because ATP stores energy in smaller, more usable amounts for cell work, similar to carrying smaller bills for everyday purchases.