What does metabolism mean?

Definitions for metabolism
məˈtæb əˌlɪz əmme·tab·o·lism

This dictionary definitions page includes all the possible meanings, example usage and translations of the word metabolism.

Princeton's WordNet

  1. metamorphosis, metabolismnoun

    the marked and rapid transformation of a larva into an adult that occurs in some animals

  2. metabolism, metabolic processnoun

    the organic processes (in a cell or organism) that are necessary for life

Wiktionary

  1. metabolismnoun

    The complete set of chemical reactions that occur in living cells.

  2. Etymology: From μεταβολή, from μετά + βάλλω.

ChatGPT

  1. metabolism

    Metabolism is a series of chemical reactions that occur within a living organism to maintain life. These processes allow organisms to grow and reproduce, maintain their structures, and respond to their environments. They are divided into two categories: anabolism, which involves the building up of substances, and catabolism, which involves the breaking down of substances. Metabolism is responsible for converting food into energy, converting food and nutrients into building blocks for proteins, lipids, nucleic acids, and some carbohydrates, and the elimination of nitrogenous wastes.

Webster Dictionary

  1. Metabolismnoun

    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)

Wikidata

  1. Metabolism

    Metabolism is the set of life-sustaining chemical transformations within the cells of living organisms. These enzyme-catalyzed reactions allow organisms to grow and reproduce, maintain their structures, and respond to their environments. The word metabolism can also refer to all chemical reactions that occur in living organisms, including digestion and the transport of substances into and between different cells, in which case the set of reactions within the cells is called intermediary metabolism or intermediate metabolism. Metabolism is usually divided into two categories. Catabolism breaks down organic matter, for example to harvest energy in cellular respiration. Anabolism uses energy to construct components of cells such as proteins and nucleic acids. The chemical reactions of metabolism are organized into metabolic pathways, in which one chemical is transformed through a series of steps into another chemical, by a sequence of enzymes. Enzymes are crucial to metabolism because they allow organisms to drive desirable reactions that require energy and will not occur by themselves, by coupling them to spontaneous reactions that release energy. As enzymes act as catalysts they allow these reactions to proceed quickly and efficiently. Enzymes also allow the regulation of metabolic pathways in response to changes in the cell's environment or signals from other cells.

Chambers 20th Century Dictionary

  1. Metabolism

    me-tab′o-lizm, n. a general term for the chemical changes of living matter: retrograde metamorphosis, catabolism: complete metamorphosis, as in Diptera, &c.—adj. Metabol′ic, undergoing complete metamorphosis: polymorphic: exhibiting metabolism.—v.t. Metab′olise. [Gr. metabolē, change.]

The Nuttall Encyclopedia

  1. Metabolism

    name given to a chemical change in the cells or tissues of living matter.

U.S. National Library of Medicine

  1. Metabolism

    The chemical reactions that occur within the cells, tissues, or an organism. These processes include both the biosynthesis (ANABOLISM) and the breakdown (CATABOLISM) of organic materials utilized by the living organism.

Editors Contribution

  1. metabolism

    The transformation of energy within an organism.

    Metabolism takes place in animals, humans, plants and other living organisms.


    Submitted by MaryC on April 13, 2020  

Entomology

  1. Metabolism

    is transformation: the whole process or series of changes of food into tissue and cell-substance and of these latter into waste products the first of these changes being anabolic, the second katabolic.

Matched Categories

Usage in printed sourcesFrom: 

How to pronounce metabolism?

How to say metabolism in sign language?

Numerology

  1. Chaldean Numerology

    The numerical value of metabolism in Chaldean Numerology is: 7

  2. Pythagorean Numerology

    The numerical value of metabolism in Pythagorean Numerology is: 1

Examples of metabolism in a Sentence

  1. Barbara Bendlin:

    Our findings suggest that insulin resistance could increase risk for Alzheimer’s disease by affecting glucose metabolism in the brain.

  2. Holly Phillips:

    This checklist of 10 reasons your internal thermostat is out of whack can help you get a handle on why you're chronically freezing your butt off. You're too thin Low body weight — defined as a BMI hovering around 18.5 or under — can chill you out for a couple of reasons. First, when you're underweight, you lack an adequate level of body fat to insulate you from cold temperatures, explained Maggie Moon, RD, a Los Angeles – based nutritionist. The other thing is, to maintain that low BMI, you have to reduce your food intake so you likely aren't eating very much at all. Skimping on calories puts the brakes on your metabolism, so you don't create enough body heat. Consider putting on a few pounds by loading up on whole, healthy foods that contain lots of protein, fat, and complex carbohydrates. RELATED : Subtle Signs of Eating Disorders Your Thyroid is out of whack Add cold intolerance to the long list of health issues you can blame on the butterfly-shaped gland in your neck. Always being cold is a telltale sign of hypothyroidism, which means Your Thyroid doesn't secrete enough thyroid hormone.

  3. Yasuhiro Oba:

    Other biological molecules were found in the sample as well, including a selection of amino acids, amines and carboxylic acids, which are found in proteins and metabolism, respectively.

  4. Herman Pontzer:

    There’s no effect of menopause that we can see, for example. And you know, people will say, ‘Well when I hit 30 years old, my metabolism fell apart.’ We don’t see any evidence for that, actually.

  5. Al Bochi:

    People feel like they have no idea what to eat anymore, they've been listening to all these different food rules -- don't eat carbs, don't eat after seven, eat this to increase Al Bochi metabolism -- and intuitive eating helps Al Bochi unlearn that unhealthy relationship with food and bring enjoyment back to the act of eating.

Popularity rank by frequency of use

metabolism#1#4706#10000

Translations for metabolism

From our Multilingual Translation Dictionary

Get even more translations for metabolism »

Translation

Find a translation for the metabolism definition in other languages:

Select another language:

  • - Select -
  • 简体中文 (Chinese - Simplified)
  • 繁體中文 (Chinese - Traditional)
  • Español (Spanish)
  • Esperanto (Esperanto)
  • 日本語 (Japanese)
  • Português (Portuguese)
  • Deutsch (German)
  • العربية (Arabic)
  • Français (French)
  • Русский (Russian)
  • ಕನ್ನಡ (Kannada)
  • 한국어 (Korean)
  • עברית (Hebrew)
  • Gaeilge (Irish)
  • Українська (Ukrainian)
  • اردو (Urdu)
  • Magyar (Hungarian)
  • मानक हिन्दी (Hindi)
  • Indonesia (Indonesian)
  • Italiano (Italian)
  • தமிழ் (Tamil)
  • Türkçe (Turkish)
  • తెలుగు (Telugu)
  • ภาษาไทย (Thai)
  • Tiếng Việt (Vietnamese)
  • Čeština (Czech)
  • Polski (Polish)
  • Bahasa Indonesia (Indonesian)
  • Românește (Romanian)
  • Nederlands (Dutch)
  • Ελληνικά (Greek)
  • Latinum (Latin)
  • Svenska (Swedish)
  • Dansk (Danish)
  • Suomi (Finnish)
  • فارسی (Persian)
  • ייִדיש (Yiddish)
  • հայերեն (Armenian)
  • Norsk (Norwegian)
  • English (English)

Word of the Day

Would you like us to send you a FREE new word definition delivered to your inbox daily?

Please enter your email address:


Citation

Use the citation below to add this definition to your bibliography:

Style:MLAChicagoAPA

"metabolism." Definitions.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2025. Web. 21 Feb. 2025. <https://www.definitions.net/definition/metabolism>.

Discuss these metabolism definitions with the community:

0 Comments

    Are we missing a good definition for metabolism? Don't keep it to yourself...

    Image or illustration of

    metabolism

    Credit »

    Free, no signup required:

    Add to Chrome

    Get instant definitions for any word that hits you anywhere on the web!

    Free, no signup required:

    Add to Firefox

    Get instant definitions for any word that hits you anywhere on the web!

    Quiz

    Are you a words master?

    »
    evincing the presence of a deity
    A commensal
    B currish
    C motile
    D numinous

    Nearby & related entries:

    Alternative searches for metabolism: