Why are the phosphate groups arranged in series in adenosine diphosphate and adenosine triphosphate inherently unstable?
AThey are held only by weak hydrogen bonds
BThey are constantly attacked by hydroxyl groups
CThey are strongly attracted to one another
DThey repel because they are negatively charged
Answer & Solution
Correct answer: D. They repel because they are negatively charged
1. Adding a phosphate group to a molecule requires energy to be put in.
2. Phosphate groups carry a negative charge, so a row of them repels itself.
3. That repulsion makes adenosine diphosphate and adenosine triphosphate inherently unstable.
4. Because they are strained, releasing one or two phosphates lets energy out again.
5. Attraction between the phosphates would make the molecule stable, which is the reverse of what happens.
6. The bonds concerned are covalent phosphate bonds, not weak hydrogen bonds.
_Source: OpenStax Biology (1st ed., CC BY 4.0), Ch 7 "Cellular Respiration", section 7.1 Energy in Living Systems_
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