The correct option is A ATP in small stepwise units
If a substrate is undergoing combustion, then the entire energy is released all at once in the form of heat and may be light is also produced. This energy is lost to the atmosphere all at once, in a single go. If respiration were to occur in a similar manner, entire energy would be released into the cell all at once and may be subsequently lost to the environment. To avoid this, respiration occurs in an enzymatically controlled, slow and step wise manner, with each step releasing energy in installments and being energetic enough to drive the synthesis of ATP and other high energy chemical intermediates like NADPH and FADH2.