The inevitability of ATP as a transmitter in the carotid body

Atmospheric oxygen concentrations rose markedly at several points in evolutionary history. Each of these increases was followed by an evolutionary leap in organismal complexity, and thus the cellular adaptions we see today have been shaped by the levels of oxygen within our atmosphere. In eukaryotic cells, oxygen is essential for the production of adenosine 5 ′-triphosphate (ATP) which is the ‘Universal Energy Currency’ of life. Aerobic organisms survived by evolving precise mechanisms for converting oxygen within the environment into energy.
Source: Autonomic Neuroscience: Basic and Clinical - Category: Neuroscience Authors: Source Type: research