Final answer:
Phosphate groups can be transferred from one molecule to another during addition and exchange reactions. This process, called phosphorylation, occurs in metabolic pathways and involves the addition or removal of phosphate ester or thioester groups. ATP is a key molecule that provides the phosphate groups for phosphorylation.
Step-by-step explanation:
Phosphate groups can be transferred from one molecule to another during addition and exchange reactions. The transfer of a phosphate group from ATP to another molecule is called phosphorylation, which results in the formation of ADP and a phosphate ion. This process is reversible and can occur in metabolic pathways, such as glycolysis, in which phosphate ester or thioester groups are added or removed without redox reactions.