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Phosphagen




The phosphagens are energy storage compounds, also known as High Energy Phosphate compounds, are chiefly found in Muscular tissue in Animal s. They allow a high energy phosphate pool to be maintained in a concentration range which, if it all were ATP , would create problems due to the ATP consuming reactions in these tissues. As muscle tissues can have sudden demands for lots of energy, these compounds can maintain a reserve of high energy phosphates that can ''kick in'' as needed, to provide the energy that could not be immediately supplied by Glycolysis or Oxidative Phosphorylation .

The actual Biomolecule used as a phosphagen is dependent on the organism. In mammals, the specific compound is Creatine . Creatine phosphate, or phosphocreatine, is made from ATP by the enzyme Creatine Kinase in a reversible reaction:

  • Creatine + ATP \leftrightarrow creatine phosphate + ADP (this reaction is Mg++ dependent)



Other compounds used are Arginine , Taurocyamine , or Lombricine .