The biological role of ATP preparatory energy.

A living cell cannot store a significant amount of free energy. Excessive free energy will result in increased heat in the cell, resulting in excessive heat movement that can damage and then destroy the cell. The cell must be able to process this energy in such a way that it can safely store the energy and release it for use only as needed. Living cells accomplish this using the compound adenosine triphosphate (ATP). ATP is often referred to as the “energy currency” of the cell, and like currency, this versatile compound can be used to fill any energy requirement of the cell. It works in a similar way to a rechargeable battery. This allows the cell to neatly store energy and transport it inside the cell to support chemical reactions.