Process
Cellular respiration
Breaking down sugars and other fuels, mostly in mitochondria, to make ATP.
ATP
The molecule cells use to carry energy. Most of it is made by ATP synthase, a rotating molecular machine.Source: Boyer, 1997Source: Noji et al., 1997
Step 5 of 8ReadingMolecule
How ATP connects
ATP is involved in
Process
Photosynthesis
Using light energy to turn carbon dioxide and water into sugar, releasing oxygen.
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Sources & further reading
The explanations on this page are our own summaries of these sources. Follow a link to read the original; if anything here disagrees with it, the original wins. How we choose and check sources.
The ATP synthase: a splendid molecular machine (opens the original in a new tab)
Boyer PD (1997). Annual Review of Biochemistry 66:717-749.
Editorially reviewedReviewDirect observation of the rotation of F1-ATPase (opens the original in a new tab)
Noji H, Yasuda R, Yoshida M, et al. (1997). Nature 386:299-302.
Peer-reviewedPrimary research