what is metabolism in biology

what is metabolism in biology

1 year ago 30
Nature

Metabolism is the sum of chemical reactions that occur within cells of living organisms to sustain life. It involves many interconnected cellular pathways that are organized into distinct metabolic pathways to either maximize the capture of energy or minimize its use. Metabolism can be split into two types of chemical reactions: anabolism and catabolism. Anabolism is the process of building and storing molecules, while catabolism is the process of breaking down molecules to get more fuel for body functions.

Metabolism is a complicated chemical process that involves thousands of metabolic reactions happening at the same time, all regulated by the body, to keep our cells healthy and working. Specific proteins in the body control the chemical reactions of metabolism. The chemical reactions by which metabolism occurs are almost the same in all living organisms, including animals, plants, bacteria, and fungi. All these chemical reactions are mediated by proteins that act as catalysts under specific environmental conditions such as pH and temperature.

Metabolism is related to nutrition and the existence of nutrients. The processes of metabolism depend on the nutrients that get digested to produce energy. This energy is necessary to synthesize nucleic acids, proteins, and other biomolecules in our body. Bioenergetics describes metabolism as the biochemical pathway through which the cells obtain energy.

In summary, metabolism is a series of chemical reactions that occur within cells of living organisms to sustain life. It involves many interconnected cellular pathways that are organized into distinct metabolic pathways to either maximize the capture of energy or minimize its use. Metabolism can be split into two types of chemical reactions: anabolism and catabolism. The chemical reactions by which metabolism occurs are almost the same in all living organisms, including animals, plants, bacteria, and fungi. Metabolism is related to nutrition and the existence of nutrients.

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