Apply your understanding of how living organisms use energy to argue in favor of why it is either beneficial or detrimental for cells to use ATP rather than directly using the energy stored in the bonds of carbohydrates to power cellular reactions.
a. ATP is readily available in the form of a single unit that provides a consistent, appropriate amount of energy. If cells harvested energy from various carbohydrate compounds, they would need to tailor each reaction to each energy source.
b. ATP energy cannot activate the ROS dependent stress response whereas food molecules are responsible for activating ROS.
c. ATP is low in energy, but food molecules (in the form of carbohydrates) possess higher levels of energy that cells can use.
d. ATP is readily available to cells, unlike the carbohydrate compounds that have to first be phosphorylated in order to release their energy.