Final answer:
Energy is released from ATP during hydrolysis when it is converted into ADP and inorganic phosphate, breaking high-energy phosphoanhydride bonds and liberating energy for cellular processes.
Step-by-step explanation:
Energy is released from ATP when the molecule is hydrolyzed into ADP (adenosine diphosphate) and inorganic phosphate. This reaction, which can be represented as ATP + H₂O → ADP + Pi + energy, involves the breaking of the high-energy phosphoanhydride bonds between the phosphate groups of ATP. In biological systems, the hydrolysis of ATP is used to drive processes that require energy, such as muscle contraction, nerve impulse transmission, and the active transport of molecules across cellular membranes.
The energy currency of the cell, ATP, is synthesized from ADP and phosphate using energy from cellular processes like photosynthesis or the breakdown of food. The cycle of ATP hydrolysis and resynthesis maintains the flow of energy within the cell, enabling life-sustaining biochemical reactions to occur.