Metabolism
Metabolism is the total of all the chemical reactions that an organism performs in order to capture, store and use energy. It is the process by which living organisms transform potential energy into kinetic energy.
| Solid food materials | -----> | Products of digestion | -----> | anabolism |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| catabolism |
Anabolism: large comoplex molecules are built up from smaller ones
Catabolism: relatively complex "energy-rich" molecules are broken down into simpler "energy poor" molecules.