Final answer:
The energy to convert ADP to ATP is provided by oxidative phosphorylation, a process that involves breaking down food molecules and occurs in cell mitochondria or plasma membranes.
Step-by-step explanation:
The energy used to make ATP (Adenosine Triphosphate) from ADP (Adenosine Diphosphate) is primarily provided by the process known as oxidative phosphorylation. This process involves the breakdown of food molecules like glucose during catabolism, where energy is released and captured to add a phosphate group to ADP, forming ATP.
Oxidative phosphorylation occurs in mitochondria in eukaryotic cells or the plasma membrane of prokaryotic cells and is driven by a gradient created across the membrane, a process termed chemiosmosis. It's important to note that ATP hydrolysis is the reaction where ATP is converted into ADP and a phosphate group, releasing energy.