Which statement best describes the role of ATP in cells?

• A. It provides energy for cellular work by hydrolyzing its phosphate bonds.
• B. It stores genetic information.
• C. It forms the cell membrane.
• D. It acts as a structural component of ribosomes.

Answer: (A)

ATP acts as the energy currency of the cell, providing energy for cellular work through hydrolysis of its phosphate bonds. The energy is stored in the bonds connecting the phosphate groups, and when one phosphate group is removed, ATP is converted to ADP (and inorganic phosphate), releasing energy that powers many processes such as moving substances across membranes, contracting muscles, and driving the synthesis of molecules. The reason this energy release is useful is that breaking the terminal phosphate bond relieves the electrostatic repulsion among the closely packed negatively charged groups and leaves products that are more stable due to resonance; the overall reaction is energetically favorable. Cells continually recycle ADP back into ATP using energy from metabolism, keeping a ready supply of energy for work.

Other ideas aren’t correct because genetic information is stored in DNA, membranes are built from lipids, and ribosomes are made of RNA and proteins, not ATP acting as their structural component.