high-energy phosphate compound, a chemical compound containing an easily hydrolyzed phosphoric anhydride group. The hydrolysis of this group liberates considerable energy, and coupling of this reaction to an endothermic reaction provides the energy necessary for the endothermic reaction to proceed. Adenosine triphosphate is the most powerful and ubiquitous of the high-energy phosphate compounds found in the body. All of these compounds liberate energy to fuel muscle contraction, active transport across cell membranes, and synthesis of many substances in the body.
