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Metabolism is a chemical reaction
Metabolism occurs when a cell is going through any sort of chemical reaction such as breaking down the food you eat. This, in turn, gives the body the energy it needs to build muscle, move around and create new cells. The rate at which this process happens depends on the metabolic rate of each individual.
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Metabolism has two groups
Metabolism can work in two different ways. The first is catabolism, which involves creating small molecules by breaking down larger ones. This is the reaction that takes place when food is broken down to create energy for cells. The second group is anabolism, which involves creating big molecules from smaller ones.
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Metabolism uses thermodynamics
The process of metabolism uses a combination of energy and work, as cells need the energy to break down molecules. This combination is known as thermodynamics, which rules that energy itself cannot just appear or disappear and that spontaneous chemical reaction is dangerous.
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Metabolism is the cell’s work
Cells are constantly working in order to transfer energy from one source to another. They do this in different ways. They use synthesis to create complex molecules like DNA, they organize their own membranes to store things needed for different jobs, and they create electrochemical gradients and transport molecules.
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Metabolism uses metabolic pathways
A metabolic pathway is a path that can be followed to trace chemical reactions within a cell. These pathways are made up of each process in the chemical reaction and show the enzymes which speed up the rate of reactions, the electrons which are transferred during the reaction and the energy which is transferred.
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Metabolism takes time
Metabolism doesn’t just happen at once but over time, this allows the cell to monitor the level of energy which is being used in order to avoid damage. When creating a new molecule, the cell will start with one molecule called the substrate and create intermediate molecules before the finalized product.
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Metabolism uses enzymes
Enzymes are crucial to the success of metabolic reactions as they cannot happen until they have reached the energy of activation. Enzymes decrease the energy of activation so in order for the reaction to happen quickly and thus, for the energy to be transferred quickly.
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Metabolism transfers electrons
Molecules move electrons between each other during the process of metabolism, causing them to change. Molecules that take electrons become reduced, while molecules that lose electrons become oxidized.
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Metabolism keeps cells alive
Metabolic reaction provides cells with the energy they need to continue living. The energy provides materials for cells to grow, energy for the cells to work and the electrons needed for anabolism.
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Metabolism stops entropy
Entropy is the state in which an organism stops living because energy is no longer being transferred inside of it. Living beings need a constant flow of energy, which comes from the breaking down of food molecules in order to power all the cells within them.
