Definition of metabolism Metabolism

/mʌtæˈbʌlɪˌzʌm/ - [mutabulizum] - me•tab•o•lism

We found 7 definitions of metabolism from 6 different sources.

What does metabolism mean?

WordNet

Noun Plural: metabolisms
metabolism - the organic processes (in a cell or organism) that are necessary for life
		metabolic process
		biological process, organic process a process occurring in living organisms
		being, organism the state or fact of existing; "a point of view gradually coming into being"; "laws in existence for centuries"
		cellular respiration, internal respiration, respiration the metabolic processes whereby certain organisms obtain energy from organic molecules; processes that take place in the cells and tissues during which energy is released and carbon dioxide is produced and absorbed by the blood to be transported to the lungs
		anabolism, constructive metabolism the synthesis in living organisms of more complex substances (e.g., living tissue) from simpler ones together with the storage of energy
		basal metabolism the amount of energy required to maintain the body of an individual in a resting state
		catabolism, destructive metabolism, katabolism, dissimilation breakdown in living organisms of more complex substances into simpler ones together with release of energy
		fat metabolism a metabolic process that breaks down ingested fats into fatty acids and glycerol and then into simpler compounds that can be used by cells of the body
		glycolysis a metabolic process that breaks down carbohydrates and sugars through a series of reactions to either pyruvic acid or lactic acid and releases energy for the body in the form of ATP
metabolism - the marked and rapid transformation of a larva into an adult that occurs in some animals
		metamorphosis
		biological process, organic process a process occurring in living organisms
		hemimetabolism, hemimetaboly, hemimetamorphosis incomplete or partial metamorphosis in insects
		heterometabolism, heterometaboly development of insects with incomplete metamorphosis in which no pupal stage precedes maturity

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Wiktionary

metabolism (Noun)
The complete set of chemical reactions that occur in living cells.

Webster DictionaryWebster's Unabridged Dictionary 📘

metabolism (n.)
The act or process, by which living tissues or cells take up and convert into their own proper substance the nutritive material brought to them by the blood, or by which they transform their cell protoplasm into simpler substances, which are fitted either for excretion or for some special purpose, as in the manufacture of the digestive ferments. Hence, metabolism may be either constructive (anabolism), or destructive (katabolism).

OmegaWiki DictionaryOmegaWiki Dictionary Ω

metabolism
All the chemical reactions that take place in a living organism, comprising both anabolism and catabolism.

Wikipedia

Metabolism is the system of chemical activities by which a living thing gets power (energy) from other things such as food. This depends, for example, on how often someone eats. If they are hungry their metabolism slows down dramatically. Metabolism uses energy to fuel all organs involved in digestion and respiration and so on. The amount of energy used to carry out these life processes is called the BMR-rate or "basal metabolic rate". The bigger someone is, the lower their metabolism rate would become. This is due to a lower volume to surface area ratio.