How many high-energy phosphate bonds does ATP have?

Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) is recognized for being the primary energy currency of the cell. The structure of ATP consists of adenine, ribose, and three phosphate groups (often denoted as α, β, and γ). Among these, the bonds between the phosphate groups are considered high-energy phosphate bonds, which are crucial for the transfer and release of energy necessary for various biological processes.

ATP contains two high-energy phosphate bonds located between the first (α) and second (β) phosphate, and the second (β) and third (γ) phosphate groups. When ATP is hydrolyzed to ADP (adenosine diphosphate) and inorganic phosphate (Pi), the breaking of either of these two bonds releases energy that is utilized by the cell for work, such as muscle contraction, active transport, and biosynthetic reactions.

Thus, the correct understanding is that ATP has two high-energy phosphate bonds, not one, three, or four.