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Metabolism is a term that encompasses all the chemical reactions that take place in an organism. These reactions are catalysed by enzymes and are essential for life. This lesson brings together many of the concepts from earlier in the Bioenergetics topic and extends them to cover the full range of metabolic reactions in the body. This is an important topic for AQA GCSE Biology, particularly at Higher tier.
Metabolism is the sum of all the chemical reactions in a cell or the body. These reactions are organised into metabolic pathways — sequences of reactions where the product of one reaction becomes the substrate for the next.
Metabolic reactions can be broadly divided into two types:
| Type | Description | Energy Change | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anabolic reactions | Building up larger molecules from smaller ones | Energy required (endothermic) | Photosynthesis, protein synthesis, glycogen synthesis |
| Catabolic reactions | Breaking down larger molecules into smaller ones | Energy released (exothermic) | Respiration, digestion, glycogen breakdown |
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