Metabolism

Paulo M. Edrozo, RMicro

Metabolism

Metabolism is from the Greek word metabolē , meaning "change" It is a set of life-
sustaining chemical trans- formations within the cells of living organisms
Purposes:
▪ conversion of food/fuel to energy to run cellular processes
▪ the conversion of food/fuel to building blocks for proteins, lipids, nucleic acids,
and some carbohydrates
▪ elimination of nitrogenous wastes.
▪ These enzyme-catalyzed reactions allow organisms to grow and
reproduce, maintain their structures, and respond to their
environments.
▪ The word metabolism can also refer to the sum of all chemical
reactions that occur in living organisms, including digestion and
the transport of substances into and between different cells, in
which case the set of reactions within the cells is called
intermediary metabolism.
▪Catabolism – breaking
down
▪Anabolism – building up
Catabolism
▪Some organisms, such as green plants, make their
own food from inorganic materials, while others, such
as animals, consume organic materials to obtain their
nutrition. The food consumed by animals can be
broken down into three main types — carbohydrates,
lipids (fats and oils), and proteins. Digestion involves
catabolic processes that break these down into
simpler components.
▪ Cellular respiration is the process by which the
carbohydrate glucose (C6H12O6) is broken down into
carbon dioxide (CO2) and water (H2O), producing
energy that is stored in ATP. The procedure involves
oxidation, and where there is atmospheric oxygen
available it is used in what is known as aerobic
respiration. This is the process that takes place in
animals, plants and some microorganisms.
▪ In conditions where no free oxygen is present, anaerobic
respiration takes place. This is found only in certain
microorganisms that live in soil, decaying organic matter,
under the sea, deep underground, and in the intestines of
animals. These organisms use alternatives such as nitrates,
sulfates, fumarate, and even sulfur in place of free oxygen.
Anaerobic respiration is much less efficient than the
aerobic process, and produces much less ATP .
Anabolism
▪ Also known as biosynthesis, these are reactions that use up
the energy stored in ATP by catabolic processes. They
include the building of proteins from amino acids and the
construction of DNA from nucleotides. In animals, the
muscle contractions that power movement can also be
included, as these require the use of stored energy. In
plants, the synthesis of glucose from carbon dioxide and
water through photosynthesis is another anabolic pathway.
Gas Exchange
▪ Gas exchange is the process by which oxygen and carbon
dioxide (the respiratory gases) move in opposite directions
across an organism's respiratory membranes, between the
air or water of the external environment and the body
fluids of the internal environment. Oxygen is needed by
cells to extract energy from organic molecules, such as
sugars, fatty acids, and amino acids. Carbon dioxide is
produced in the process and must be disposed.