What is happening in your body right now? Your first response might be that you are hungry or that your muscles are sore after a run, or that you are tired. But let’s go deeper beyond your consciousness and see what is happening in your cells.
If you could take a look inside any cell in your body, you would see that it is a busy centre, more like a bustling open-air market than a quiet room. Whether you are awake or asleep, running or watching television, energy is being transformed within your cells, changing shape as molecules perform the interconnected chemical reactions that keep you alive and functional.
Metabolism overview
Cells continually perform thousands of chemical reactions necessary to keep cells and your entire body alive and healthy. These chemical reactions are often linked in chains or pathways. All the chemical reactions that take place within a cell are collectively known as the cell’s metabolism.
To give us an idea of the complexity of metabolism, let’s examine the metabolic diagram below. To me, this tangle of lines looks like a map of a vast train system or a fancy circuit board. It is a diagram of the major metabolic pathways in a eukaryotic cell, like the cells that make up the human body. Each line is a reaction, and each circle is a reactant or product.
Abstract diagram representing the entire eukaryotic metabolic networks. The primary purpose of the diagram is to indicate that metabolism is complex and highly interconnected, with many different pathways feeding each other.
Abstract diagram representing the entire eukaryotic metabolic networks. The primary purpose of the diagram is to indicate that metabolism is complex and highly interconnected, with many different pathways feeding each other.
Image credit: “Diagram of metabolism” by Zlir’a (public domain).
In the metabolic network of the cell, some chemical reactions release energy and can happen spontaneously (without energy input). However, others require energy to be added to be carried out. In the same way that you need to feed yourself to replenish what your body uses continually, cells also need a continuous input of energy to drive their energy-requiring chemical reactions. The food you eat is the source of energy your cells use!
To make the idea of metabolism a little more concrete, let’s examine two fundamental metabolic processes to life on Earth: those that build sugars and those that break them down.
Indeed you came to this article because you are in some process that involves weight loss. If so, make yourself comfortable. Next, we will show you everything you need to know about the functions of metabolism.
In this article, you will learn about the functions of metabolism, the types of metabolism that exist, and why it slows down. Do not wait more!
What is metabolism?
Before diving into the functions of metabolism, you must know what this process is.
The first thing you should know is that your body is made up of millions of cells. Inside each one, a set of chemical reactions occurs. These reactions are responsible for transforming the food you eat into fuel. This is essential for all vital activities, such as moving, breathing, sleeping … absolutely everything you can imagine!
The energy we produce through metabolism is called ATP (Adenosine triphosphate), and whether it is produced at a higher or lower speed depends on the thyroxine hormone, produced and secreted by the thyroid. Another essential hormone in metabolism is insulin, secreted by the pancreas and responsible for giving order to the cells to increase anabolic activities.
The energy that is not released to the body will not be lost. This will be used for the growth and repair of the body or the active transport of substances through cell membranes.
The organs involved in human metabolism are the liver, kidneys, digestive system, pancreas, adrenal glands, and hypothalamus.
What are the functions of metabolism?
All the foods you eat, whether proteins, fats or carbohydrates, are broken down by small molecules called enzymes. This results in amino acids, sugars and fatty acids that, when absorbed, travel through your blood to the cells. There they manage to be metabolized and release energy or store it for when it is needed.
The most important thing is that the functions of metabolism will always be to provide you with the necessary energy to carry out your vital activities.
