The continous process of breakdown and synthesis of biomolecules through chemical reactions occuring in the living cells is called metabolism.
(1) Each of the metabolic reaction results in a
transformation of biomolecules.
(2) Most of these metabolic reactions do not occur in
isolation, but are always linked with some other reactions. .
(3) In these reactions, the metabolites are converted into another metabolite in a series of linked reactions called metabolic pathways.
pathway. This flow of metabolite through a metabolic pathways is called the dynamic state.
In living systems, metabolism involves two types of pathways - anabolic pathway and catabolic pathway.
(a) The anabolic pathway is called biosynthetic pathway. It leads to a more complex structure from a simpler structure. For e.g., the pathway involving the conversion of acetic acid into cholesterol. These pathways consume energy.
(b) The catabolic pathways lead to a simpler structure
from a complex structure. For e.g., the pathway involving conversion of glucose into lactic acid in our skeletal muscles. This pathway leads to the release of energy, e.g., energy is liberated when glucose is degraded to lactic in our skeletal muscles