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Energy Charge




\mbox{Energy charge} = rac{ + rac{1}{2} [\mbox{ADP} } { + [\mbox{ADP} + [\mbox{AMP}]}

The energy charge can have a value ranging from 0 (all AMP) to 1(all ATP). Daniel Atkinson showed that ATP-generating (catabolic) pathways are inhibited by a high energy charge. In plots of the reaction rates of such pathways versus the energy charge, the curves are steep near an energy charge of 0.9, were they usually intersect. It is evident that control of these pathways has evolved to maintain the energy charge within rather narrow limits. In other words the energy charge like the pH of a cell is buffered. The energy charge of most cells range from 0.8 tp 0.95.