Introduction to Metabolism

Abstract

Metabolism comprises all of the chemical reactions that take place in a living system, be it a cell, a tissue, an organ, or an organism. Metabolic reactions are almost all enzyme-catalyzed and include transformations of energy and nutrients, syntheses and degradations, and excretions of waste products. Chemical changes concerned with the production, storage, and utilization of metabolic energy for biosynthesis are known as intermediary metabolism. Typically, intermediary metabolism includes all aspects of metabolism (including digestion) except those involved in the transfer of genetic information—replication, transcription, and translation.