Metabolic Pathways

• Metabolic pathways


  Chains and cycles of enzyme-catalysed reactions
• Metabolism


  The sum total of all reactions that occur within an organism in order to maintain life
• Most chemical changes in a cell result from a series of reactions (pathways), with each step controlled by a specific enzyme
• Metabolic pathways


  • Allow for a greater level of regulation, as the chemical change is controlled by numerous intermediates
• Examples of metabolic pathway types


  • Chains
  • Cycles
• Examples of chain pathways


  • Glycolysis (in cell respiration)
  • Coagulation cascade (in blood clotting)
• Examples of cycle pathways

  • Krebs cycle (in cell respiration)
  • Calvin cycle (in photosynthesis)