What type of bond connects the ribose sugar to the phosphate groups in ATP?

The bond that connects the ribose sugar to the phosphate groups in ATP is a phosphodiester bond. This type of bond forms between the 5' carbon of the ribose sugar and the phosphate group, creating a backbone that is essential for the structure of nucleotides and nucleic acids.

In ATP, the ribose sugar has three phosphate groups attached, and the connection between the first phosphate and the ribose is a phosphodiester bond. This bond is a specific type of covalent bond that links the phosphate group to the sugar molecule through an ester linkage.

Understanding this structure is significant because it plays a crucial role in the molecule's overall function as an energy carrier in biological systems. When ATP releases energy during hydrolysis, it breaks the bonds between the phosphate groups, which are primarily phosphoanhydride bonds. However, the initial bond between the ribose and the first phosphate is indeed a phosphodiester bond, making this answer correct.