Final answer:
Glucose is phosphorylated in the first step of glycolysis because the transfer of phosphate from ATP to glucose is exergonic and a phosphoanhydride bond has higher energy of hydrolysis than a phosphoester bond. The correct answer is both A and B.
Step-by-step explanation:
In the first step of glycolysis, glucose can be phosphorylated because B) the transfer of a phosphate from ATP to glucose is exergonic and also A) a phosphoanhydride bond has higher energy of hydrolysis than a phosphoester bond. Therefore, the correct answer is E) both choices A and B.
The exergonic nature of the ATP-to-glucose phosphate transfer provides the necessary energy to phosphorylate glucose, creating a more reactive glucose-6-phosphate. This phosphorylation traps glucose inside the cell and prepares it for further metabolic reactions within the glycolytic pathway.