Flexi Says: During cellular respiration, glucose, in the presence of oxygen, is converted into carbon dioxide and water. During this process, the energy stored in glucose is transferred to ATP. Energy is stored in the bonds between the phosphate groups (PO4-) of the ATP molecule. When ATP is broken down into ADP (adenosine diphosphate) and inorganic phosphate, energy is released. When ADP and inorganic phosphate are joined to form ATP, energy is stored. During cellular respiration, about 36 to 38 ATP molecules are produced for every glucose molecule