text: why is atp sometimes referred to as the "energy currency" of cells?   because you "spend" it to get energy. anabolic pathways, by a process too long to go into here, produce many adenosine triphosphates'"energy currency". the phosphate is bonded in three groups in a row(two will be spent) the bonds do not take much energy to bond, but realease great amounts when cleaved(by enzymes, for example)