Metabolism

Define Metabolism

All chemical reactions occuring in the cell, including breaking down (digesting) and building
- dehydration synthesis and hydrolysis

Metabolic Reactions

Catabolic reactions (catabolism) - hydrolytic reactions which break molecules down
- spontaneous
- entropy increases
- potential energy decreases
Anabolic reactions (anabolism) - synthetic reaction that builds molecules up
- non-spontaneous
- entropy decreases
- potential energy increases
metabolic reactions are always coupled; one cant happen without the other
- anabolic reactions cant happen without the energy input of catabolic reactions
- ex. photosynthesis + cellular respiration; cellular respiration + ATP synthesis

G = the measure of free energy