metaboliteihin

Metabolites are small molecules that participate in metabolism, serving as substrates, intermediates, and end products of enzymatic reactions. They arise from the breakdown and synthesis of larger macromolecules and participate in energy production, signaling, and cellular maintenance. In the broader sense, metabolites include sugars, amino acids, nucleotides, lipids, organic acids, and cofactor molecules.

They are classified into primary metabolites, which are essential for basic cellular functions and growth (for example, glucose, pyruvate, amino acids, nucleotides, and ATP-related compounds), and secondary metabolites, which are not strictly required for survival but provide ecological advantages (such as alkaloids, pigments, terpenoids, and antibiotics).

Metabolic pathways organize metabolites through a network of biochemical reactions. Metabolite levels and fluxes depend on gene expression, enzyme activity, nutrient availability, and environmental conditions. Localization within cellular compartments (cytosol, mitochondria, chloroplasts) influences pathway direction and regulation.

Metabolomics is the large-scale study of metabolites. It uses analytical platforms such as gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS), liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC-MS), and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy to identify and quantify metabolites. Data interpretation relies on libraries and pathway maps; challenges include chemical diversity, isomerism, and dynamic range.

Metabolites have broad applications in medicine, agriculture, and nutrition. They serve as biomarkers for disease, targets for drugs, and indicators of nutritional status. Well-known examples include glucose, lactate, pyruvate, and acetyl-CoA, among others.

Note on terminology: in Finnish, the equivalent term is metaboliitti, with metaboliitit as the plural form; the inflected form metaboliteihin may appear in Finnish texts.