What is the difference between atp and nucleotides

Page last updated:. What Are Nucleotides? Nucleotides are monomers small molecules that are the building blocks of nucleic acids. Each nucleotide, and consists of 3 portions:. Learn about DNA. Virtual Cell Biology.

You have free access to a large collection of materials used in a college-level introductory Cell Biology Course. Science Prof Online. ATP is a ribonucleotide whose pentose sugar is a ribose. PubChem Compound Database, U. National Library of Medicine, Available Here 2. National Library of Medicine, Available Here. Figure 1: ATP Structure. Animals store the energy obtained from the breakdown of food as ATP. Likewise, plants capture and store the energy they derive from light during photosynthesis in ATP molecules.

ATP is a nucleotide consisting of an adenine base attached to a ribose sugar, which is attached to three phosphate groups. These three phosphate groups are linked to one another by two high-energy bonds called phosphoanhydride bonds. When one phosphate group is removed by breaking a phosphoanhydride bond in a process called hydrolysis, energy is released, and ATP is converted to adenosine diphosphate ADP.