Metabolic pathway

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Metabolic Pathway

A Metabolic Pathway (pronunciation: meh-tuh-bol-ik path-way) is a series of chemical reactions occurring within a cell. In a metabolic pathway, the product of one enzyme acts as the substrate for the next. These reactions lead to the conversion of one molecule to another, and all these reactions are catalyzed by enzymes.

Etymology

The term "Metabolic" is derived from the Greek word "Metabole" which means change, and "Pathway" is an English word which refers to a way or track laid down for walking or made by continual treading.

Related Terms

  • Enzyme: A protein that acts as a biological catalyst to speed up a chemical reaction.
  • Substrate: A molecule upon which an enzyme acts.
  • Catalyst: A substance that increases the rate of a chemical reaction without itself undergoing any permanent chemical change.
  • Cell: The basic structural and functional unit of all known living organisms.
  • Molecule: The smallest particle in a chemical element or compound that has the chemical properties of that element or compound.

See Also

References

  • Nelson, D. L.; Cox, M. M. "Lehninger, Principles of Biochemistry" 3rd Ed. Worth Publishing: New York, 2000.
  • Berg, Jeremy M., John L. Tymoczko, and Lubert Stryer. Biochemistry. 5th edition. New York: W H Freeman; 2002.

External links

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