Final answer:
The sugar in ATP, a molecule critical for energy transfer in cells, is ribose, linked to a chain of three phosphate groups. The first phosphate is connected by an ester linkage, whereas the two latter phosphates (beta and gamma) are connected via high-energy phosphoanhydride bonds.
Step-by-step explanation:
The sugar linked to the triphosphate in ATP (Adenosine Triphosphate) is ribose, a five-carbon sugar. ATP is made up of a nitrogenous base called adenine attached to ribose sugar, which in turn is connected to three phosphate groups in a chain. The ribose sugar's fifth carbon bears the phosphate chain. The first of these phosphates is connected to the sugar via an ester linkage. The subsequent two phosphates, labeled as beta and gamma, are attached to each other and the first phosphate through phosphoanhydride bonds. These phosphoanhydride bonds between phosphate groups are known to release a significant amount of energy when hydrolyzed, which is why these bonds are termed 'high-energy' bonds and are crucial for the molecule's role as an energy carrier in cellular activities.