biosünteesis

Biosynthesis is the cellular process by which living organisms produce complex organic molecules from simpler precursors. It is the anabolic counterpart to degradation and is driven by enzymes that couple reactions to energy carriers such as ATP and NADPH. Biosynthetic pathways operate in specific cellular locations, including the cytosol, mitochondria, and plastids, channeling starting materials such as acetyl-CoA, amino acids, sugars, and nucleotides into macromolecules.

Typical products of biosynthesis include fatty acids and lipids, proteins, nucleotides and nucleic acids, polysaccharides, and a variety of secondary metabolites such as alkaloids, terpenoids, and phenolics. In plants and microbes, specialized pathways generate compounds important for structure, signaling, defense, or metabolism, while primary biosynthesis provides components needed for growth and maintenance.

Biosynthesis is tightly regulated. Flux through pathways responds to cellular energy status, nutrient availability, and developmental or environmental cues. Regulation occurs at multiple levels, including enzyme activity, feedback inhibition, and transcriptional control of pathway genes.

Applications of biosynthesis span biology and industry. Metabolic engineering and synthetic biology aim to optimize biosynthetic routes to produce pharmaceuticals, vitamins, biofuels, and commodity chemicals more efficiently. Understanding biosynthesis also provides insight into metabolism, growth, and adaptation across diverse organisms.