the.com/metabolism
the constant chemical riot that keeps you alive by gently burning you down.
means The sum of all chemical reactions in a living organism that convert food into energy and building blocks, keeping cells running, growing, and repairing.
from From Greek 'metabolē,' meaning 'change' or 'transformation' — built from 'meta-' (over, across, beyond) and 'ballein' (to throw or cast). So at its root it's a 'throwing across,' the body endlessly tossing one substance into another. It entered scientific English in the 19th century as biology learned to measure the body's chemical bookkeeping.
- resting burn
- Brain alone eats 20% of your calories.
- speed myth
- Fast metabolism barely explains thinness; it varies little.
- heat output
- Your body radiates roughly a 100-watt bulb.
- cellular age
- Most atoms in you replace within a year.
- hibernation hack
- Some animals slow metabolism 99% to survive winter.
citric acid cycle — discovered by hans krebs in 1937, central pathway that converts nutrients into atp energy in nearly all organisms
basal metabolic rate — measured in calories per day, determines how much energy your body burns at rest—typically 1200-1800 kcal for adults
photosynthesis — metabolic process in plants that converts light energy into glucose, produces ~70% of earth's oxygen