Section 8.1 Assessment

1.A) What is ATP and what is its role in the cell?

ATP is one of a cell's most important compounds and is used to store and release energy.

1.B) How does the structure of ATP make it an ideal source of energy for the cell?

ATP's structure makes it an ideal energy source because it is like a rechargeable battery that releases energy by breaking the bond of one of its phosphates and stores energy by forming bonds with new phosphates.

2.A) What is the ultimate source of energy for plants?

Sunlight.

2.C) Why are decomposers, such as mushrooms, considered heterotrophs and not autotrophs?

Decomposers are considered heterotrophs because they can't make their own food so instead, they absorb nutrients from decomposing creatures.

2.B) How do heterotrophs obtain energy? How is this different from how autotrophs obtain energy?

Heterotrophs obtain energy by consuming animals or plants. This is different from what autotrophs do because autotrophs have the ability to make their own food while heterotrophs have to eat things.

1.C) Explain how ADP and ATP are each like a battery. Which one is "partially charged" and which one is "fully charged."

They are each like batteries because ATP is used to make energy for the cell while ADP is a compound that absorbs phosphates to store energy. ATP is like a fully charged battery while ADP is like a partially charged battery.