Metabolism By:RebekahJanssen HillHour6 Thetruedefinitionofmetabolismisallthechemicalreactionsthattakeplaceinthebody. Metabolismisnecessaryforalllivingthings.Throughmetabolism energyistransformedintoausableformwithhelpfromenzymes,is stored,andregulated. Enzymesareproteinsthatincreasethespeedofmetabolism andlowertheamountofenergyusedtostartachemicalreaction.In otherwordsenzymeslowertheactivationenergy,orminimum amountofenergyusedtostartchemicalreactions.Theenzymes areusedtobreakdownproteins,fatsandcarbohydrates (Poffenroth,2011).Enzymesbreakdownproteinsintoaminoacids, fatsintofattyacidsandglycerolandcarbohydratesintoglucose.

The differentmoleculestakedifferentmetabolicpathways,whichcanbe seeninFigure1(Chapter8,2013).Carbohydratesaretheeasiestto breakdown,andthatiswhylongdistancerunnerssuchascross countryrunnerscarboloadbyeatingpastabeforeameet.Asa crosscountryrunnerIhavedonethis(EssentialsofCellBiology, 2013).Afterthisinitialbreakdownintoaminoacids,fattyacidsand glucosethecompoundsareabsorbedintothebloodandsentto cells.Inthecellsmoreenzymesregulatethetransformationofthethe compoundsintoenergy(TeensHealth,2012).Enzymeshelpwith metabolism,orallthechemicalreactionsthattakeplaceinthebody. Throughmetabolism,kilocaloriesincarbohydrates,proteinsand fatsareconvertedintoATPenergy.Therearetwotypesofmetabolicreactionsthattakeplacein thecell(Chapter8,2013).Anabolicreactionsareconstructivemetabolicreactionsthathaveto dowithstoringenergyandusingittobuildandcatabolicreactionsaredestructivemetabolic reactionsthatproducetheenergyneededforcellactivity(TeensHealth,2012).Inanabolic reactionssimplemoleculesarecombinedtocreatecomplexmolecules.Thesereactions combineglucosemoleculesintoglycogen,singleaminoacidsintoalargecomplexaminoacid andexcessfattyacidsattachwithglycerolmoleculestobecomestoredastriglyceridesinfat cells.Anabolicreactionsuseenergy,ontheotherhand,catabolicreactionsgetenergyby breakingdownlargemolecules.Theybreakdownglycogenintoglucosemolecules,triglycerides backintofattyacidsandglycerolmolecules.Thesecatabolicandanabolicreactionsare regulatedbyhormones(Chapter8,2013). Peoplenaturallyhavemetabolismsofdifferentspeeds.Thefriendmentionedatthe beginningmayjusthavenaturallyfastchemicalreactionsgoingonintheirbody.However, metabolismisalsoregulatedbytheamountofexerciseapersondoesandtheirhormones

(Hains,2013).Thyroxineisproducedinandreleasedfromthethyroidglandandtellscellsto speeduporslowdownmetabolism.Insulinisreleasedfromthepancreasanddeterminesif cellsshouldcarryoutcatabolicoranabolicreactions.Therearealwayspossibledisordersfor peopletoattain.Withmetabolismpossibledisordersregardinghormonesarediabetes,where thereisalackofinsulin,andhypothyroidism,wherethereisalackofthyroxine(TeensHealth, 2012). Everyonehasthatskinnyfriendwhoeatsaton,yetstayssuperthin.Perhapsthatthin friendofyoursisalittleluckywiththemetabolismshe/heendedupwith.Thewayhisorherbody transformsenergyintoauseableformwiththehelpofenzymes,storesenergyandregulatesit isreallyefficient.However,youcanexercisesothatyourbodyusesalltheenergyyouintakeand doesn'thavetostoreexcessenergyasfat,andthenyouwillbehelpingyourmetabolismtobe efficientaswell!

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