Question

Cellular Respiration and Energy

Which of the following statements about facilitated diffusion is Gated proteins control the rate of diffusion.
Molecules move up the concentration gradient
ATP is required to move molecules through the protein channels.
Molecules move from an area of low to high concentration.

Answer 1

The three phosphate groups of the ATP molecule have negative charges that are given by the oxygen atoms they possess. Because the negative charges repel each other it is extremely difficult to keep the phosphate groups together and therefore the bonds that exist between them are very strong, for this reason when a phosphate bond is broken to convert ATP to ADP, a large amount of energy is released. This is why ATP works so well as an energy molecule. Therefore, the answer is A (they have the same charge and repel each other)