Metabolism

• Metabolism is going on all of the time
• Metabolism is ALL the Chemical Reactions in an Organism
• Cell


  • Lots of chemical reactions happening all the time
  • Reactions controlled by enzymes
• Enzyme-catalysed reactions


  1. Reactant

  2. Enzyme

  3. Product
• Enzymes


  Biological catalysts
• Synthesis of larger molecules

  1. Lots of small glucose molecules joined together to form starch, glycogen, cellulose

  2. Lipid molecules made from glycerol and fatty acids

  3. Glucose combined with nitrate ions to make amino acids, then proteins
• Breakdown of larger molecules

  1. Glucose broken down in respiration to transfer energy

  2. Excess protein broken down to produce urea, which is excreted
• Metabolism


  The sum (total) of all of the reactions that happen in a cell or the body