The
phosphagens are energy storage compounds,
high energy phosphate compounds used especially by
muscular tissue in
animals to maintain a high energy phosphate pool in a concentration range, where, if it all were
ATP, would create problems because of all the
ATP consuming reactions in these tissues. Muscle tissues will 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 that rapid energy that could not be supplied by immediately by
glycolysis or
oxidative phosphorylation.
The compound used as a phosphagen is dependent on the organism. In mammals, the compound used is creatine[?]. Creatine phosphate, or phosphocreatine, is made from ATP by the enzyme creatine kinase[?] in a reversible reaction:
- Creatine + ATP <--> creatine phosphate + ADP (this reaction is Mg++ dependent)
Other compounds used are arginine, taurocyamine[?], or lombricine[?].
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