Final answer:
True, secondary active transport is a coupled process that uses energy from the electrochemical gradient established by primary active transport, which does require ATP.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement that secondary active transport often occurs as a coupled transport process is true. Secondary active transport describes the movement of material using the energy of the electrochemical gradient established by primary active transport. In secondary active transport, substances such as amino acids and glucose enter the cell with the help of membrane proteins that harness the existing electrochemical gradient of another molecule, typically sodium ions. This gradient is created by primary active transport, which pumps sodium ions out of the cell using ATP.
For example, as sodium ion concentrations build outside of the plasma membrane due to the action of primary active transport, an electrochemical gradient is created. Co-transport proteins then use this gradient to drive the transport of other substances into the cell, moving these substances against their own gradients. This process doesn't require direct use of ATP by the co-transport mechanisms, but it depends indirectly on the ATP used during primary active transport.