The hydrolysis reactions that liberate one or more of ATP's phosphates are exergonic
This is what I have been so confused about. In chemistry I've learned that it takes energy to break bonds so the reactions that involve the breaking of bonds are endothermic but then that challenged my idea that liberating a phosphate is an exergonic process. I don't understand how these ideas co-exist. Is it that the ATP into ADP is happening at a bigger scale than the chemistry I am talking about so it is not as relevant?
