How do you personally use energy?

How do cells use ATP as energy source for specific actions?

• I know cells use ATP for energy, and they use this energy for specific reactions. But how? How is the ATP directed to the right places, and how is it used?

• Answer:

  ATP as the "energy" of a cell really is a misnomer. It's coupled to reactions that would otherwise be unfavorable or used as a good leaving group in other chemical processes.  In terms of being directed to the right place -- In eukaryotes, it's synthesized in the mitochondrial matrix and is transported out to the cytosol by the ATP/ADP translocase. Once it's in the cytosol, it's can be used for reactions I'm no aware of any directional transport. I would imagine like many other metabolites that it moves by diffusion. Keep in mind that this is a loaded question better answered by a university-level biochemistry textbook or course. It's not something that can be answered without a fuller appreciation of cellular processes.