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metabolism

metabolism

79 4.3
The way a living thing changes food into energy and waste to stay alive
  • noun
  • /məˈtæbəlɪzəm/
  • Specialized
translation icon : metabolismo
  • Yes, their metabolisms are slowing down.
  • cellular metabolism
  • aerobic metabolism
  • anaerobic metabolism

More muscle helps to boost metabolism and helps as we age.

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Examples

  • Once you work out, your metabolism starts to speed up, you can eat anything you want.

  • Hummingbirds have a metabolism 77 times faster than ours.

  • We know that something gets set off and our metabolism changes.

  • Oh, with that young metabolism, you have to enjoy it while you can.

  • And what we found were dramatic changes in the metabolism of the body.

  • I have a high metabolism.

  • Your life span gets longer, your cancer rates go down, your metabolism goes up.

  • More muscle helps to boost metabolism and helps as we age.

  • And what happens for most people is that their metabolism slows down.

  • Regular exercise can enhance your metabolism, helping your body convert food into energy more efficiently.

Synonyms

metabolic process
vsmetabolism
  • Specialized
2 4.1

Processes inside a living cell or body that make and use energy to keep it alive

focuses specifically on converting food into energy and waste

Compounds

fat metabolism
  • Specialized
1 3.7

The way the body breaks down fat to make energy

basal metabolism
  • Specialized
5.3

The energy the body needs at rest to keep you alive

6.1

A process that builds tissues and stores energy in living things

5.4

The process that breaks down food and body tissue to release energy

7.7

A health problem passed from parents that makes the body unable to use food properly

How Fast

metabolic rate
  • Specialized
9 4.2
metabolism
  • Specialized
79 4.3

Surface Forms

metabolism singular
metabolisms plural

Morphology

metabolism = metabolic (semi-transparent) = metabol + ism

The word is built from the bound root 'metabol-' plus the suffix '-ism'; 'metabol-' is not a standalone English word and the internal pieces ('meta-' + 'bol-') are not transparently meaningful to most learners, though the relation to 'metabolic'/'metabolize' may help.

Etymology

Metabolism comes from the Greek word metabolē, based on meta- which means 'change', and the same root appears in metamorphosis. So metabolism is the body's process of changing food into energy and waste.