metabolisk

Metabolic, or metabolisk in Swedish and other Nordic languages, refers to metabolism—the collection of chemical reactions that convert nutrients into energy and the building blocks required for maintenance, growth, and reproduction. Metabolism supports cellular processes through energy production, biosynthesis, and waste processing. It is regulated by enzyme activity, cellular energy status, and hormonal signals, and is influenced by diet, activity level, age, and genetic factors.

Metabolic reactions are commonly divided into catabolic pathways, which break down molecules to release energy, and anabolic pathways, which use energy to synthesize complex molecules. The energy currency of the cell is adenosine triphosphate (ATP). Most energy in aerobic organisms is produced in mitochondria via glycolysis, the citric acid cycle, and oxidative phosphorylation, while anaerobic conditions favor fermentation.

Major pathways include glycolysis, the citric acid cycle, and oxidative phosphorylation; gluconeogenesis; lipid metabolism (lipolysis and lipogenesis); amino acid metabolism; and the synthesis and breakdown of nucleotides and proteins. Metabolic flux through these pathways is regulated by enzyme activity, substrate availability, and hormonal control.

Regulation occurs at multiple levels, including allosteric enzyme control, feedback inhibition, and transcriptional regulation. Hormones such as insulin, glucagon, thyroid hormones, cortisol, and adrenaline coordinate responses to feeding, fasting, and stress. Basal metabolic rate (BMR) measures the minimal energy needed at rest and varies with age, sex, body composition, and temperature.

In medicine, metabolic studies inform nutrition, weight management, and the treatment of disorders such as diabetes, obesity, inborn errors of metabolism, and metabolic syndrome. In research and industry, metabolic engineering and systems biology aim to optimize metabolic pathways for health, agriculture, and biotechnology.