April 18, 2011
Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP) Synthase is a protein which converts the potential energy of an electrochemical Hydrogen ion gradient into the ATP energy currency, which is used in countless metabolic reactions in the cell.   Hydrogen ions enter the proton channel (blue), and cause the axle (cyan) to rotate.  Axel rotation inside the F1 subunit (red) causes an ADP molecule to bind to a phosphate molecule, forming ATP.  The Stator (orange) holds the F1 subunit in place.  The axle completes between 100 and 600 rotations per second.  There are on the order of 10^20 (One Hundred Billion Billion) ATP synthase molecules in your body. Illustration from The Machinery of Life by David S. Goodsell. (submitted by infinity-imagined)

Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP) Synthase is a protein which converts the potential energy of an electrochemical Hydrogen ion gradient into the ATP energy currency, which is used in countless metabolic reactions in the cell.  

Hydrogen ions enter the proton channel (blue), and cause the axle (cyan) to rotate.  Axel rotation inside the F1 subunit (red) causes an ADP molecule to bind to a phosphate molecule, forming ATP.  The Stator (orange) holds the F1 subunit in place.  The axle completes between 100 and 600 rotations per second.  There are on the order of 10^20 (One Hundred Billion Billion) ATP synthase molecules in your body.

Illustration from The Machinery of Life by David S. Goodsell.

(submitted by infinity-imagined)

4:22am
(Notes: 233)
  
Filed under: science biology atp molecules diagram human body submission 
  1. nursefocker reblogged this from ohscience
  2. rebagel reblogged this from ohscience
  3. redheadramblings reblogged this from ohscience
  4. cmenwong reblogged this from ohscience
  5. ijustwannabemargret reblogged this from ohscience