Which statement about phosphatases is correct?

Phosphatases are enzymes that play a crucial role in various biological processes by catalyzing the removal of phosphate groups from molecules, primarily proteins and nucleotides. The classification of phosphatases based on the pH at which they exhibit optimal activity provides important insight into their function and regulation in different cellular environments. There are two main classes of phosphatases: acid phosphatases, which are active at lower pH levels, and alkaline phosphatases, which function best at higher pH levels. This pH-dependent classification allows for a better understanding of how these enzymes operate in various physiological and pathological states.

The other statements do not accurately characterize phosphatases. For instance, while phosphatases do hydrolyze phosphate esters, the mention of adenosine triphosphate specifically points more towards ATPases, which are different enzymes that use ATP as a substrate rather than as a primary focus of phosphatases. Although some phosphatases may exhibit substrate specificity, it is not uniformly high across all types - they can act on a variety of substrates depending on their structure and context. Additionally, phosphatases are generally not activated by inorganic phosphate (Pi); instead, their activity is regulated by various factors, including cellular