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Dictionary · Abbreviation

ATP

Adenosine triphosphate: the molecule that stores and delivers energy for nearly every process in a cell.

ay-tee-PEE (said as letters) abbreviation

What it means

The cell's energy currency. Cells make ATP mainly in the mitochondria by breaking down glucose, fats and proteins, using oxygen. When a bond in ATP is broken, energy is released to power muscle contraction, nerve signals and the pumps that move sodium and potassium across cell walls. Without oxygen, cells make far less ATP.

At a glance

Also writtenadenosine triphosphate

Related terms

glucose

A simple sugar that is the body's main source of energy.

actin

A protein that forms thin threads inside muscle cells and works with myosin to make a muscle contract.

lactic

Relating to milk, or to lactic acid, a substance cells make when they break down glucose without enough oxygen.

Filed under
AbbreviationsBody systems

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