metabolism
muh-TAB-uh-liz-uhm
/məˈtæbəlɪzəm/
The chemical processes that occur within a living organism in order to maintain life.
Often used colloquially to refer to how fast someone burns calories, but scientifically it includes both building up and breaking down molecules.
The story behind the word. From the Greek 'metaballein', meaning 'to change' or 'to throw over'. It describes how the body 'changes' food into energy and tissues.
Commonly confused with
- catabolism: Catabolism is specifically the breaking down of molecules; metabolism is the total of all processes.
Word family
- metabolic (adjective): Relating to metabolism.
- metabolize (verb): To process a substance by metabolism.
Collocations
- basal metabolism
- fast metabolism
- metabolism rate
Example sentences
- "Metabolism is the set of life-sustaining chemical transformations within the cells of organisms." A scientific explanation of energy. (Scientific American)
- "As you build muscle, your resting metabolism increases, meaning you burn more energy even while asleep." A fitness coach explaining weight loss.
Memory hook
Metabolism is like a 'metal' engine that 'changes' fuel into motion. Metabolism is the 'change' from food to fuel.
When not to use
Don't use it to mean 'digestion'; digestion is just the first step of metabolism.
Fun facts
- The smallest organisms, like bacteria, have incredibly fast metabolisms, while large animals like blue whales have relatively slow ones per gram of tissue.
Related words
Explore more words
ferment, enzyme, photosynthesis, fermentation, consumption, Synthesis
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