Compare and contrast starch and ATP in terms of storing energy and supplying energy for a cell’s work.

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anonymous · Answer

well I'd say that they fulfill different roles in terms of energy providing. ATP can be easily hydrolysed into ADP and P. the P is in most cases attached to a molecule in a cell, rendering certain reactions exergonic. the hydrolysis of ATP is worth about 7 kJ per mol, if I'm not mistaken.

starch, on the other hand, can not participate in chemical reactions. it needs to be morphed into ATP equivalents to do so. a number of enzymes take part in this process. in terms of energy per mol, starch yields much more of that. so you could say that ATP is your short-term energy source, while starch (fatty acids, other processable sugars etc.) is a longer-term energy source that replenishes your ATP-stock.