MadSci Network: Biochemistry |
Definition of Metabolism: The sum of chemical reactions within a
cell or
the sum of all cellular activities in an organism. It is also sometimes
used in collective names for particular sets of biochemical reactions, as
in amino acid metabolism or lipid metabolism. It can be measured in terms
of Heat production in kcals/day.
Metabolism is the sum total of all cellular activities in the body and the
metabolic rate is a collective measure of these processes. Metabolic rate
is sometimes measured as heat released from the body but in organisms using
aerobic metabolism, meaning oxygen consuming, it is easier to measure
oxygen consumption or CO2 release or both as an indication of metabolic
rate. Metabolic rates change with an organisms activity level, higher when
the animal is more active. In laboratory studies, the resting metabolism
of an organism carrying on only life maintenance functions is called
standard metabolism this is equivalent to the basal metabolic
rate in
humans. Human basal metabolic rates are usually determined in mid morning
with the person relaxed but awake and having eaten nothing since the
preceding evening.
References:
Leland G. Johnson Biology William C. Brown Company publishers 1983.
Sternheim and Kane General Physics John Wiley and sons 1986.
Hope this helps,
cheers,
Gabriel
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