Metabolism

Metabolism is the means by which the body derives energy and synthesizes the other molecules it needs from the fats, carbohydrates and proteins we eat as food, by enzymatic reactions helped by minerals and vitamins.

What is Anabolism?

Anabolism is the process by which the body utilizes the energy released by catabolism to synthesize complex molecules. These complex molecules are then utilized to form cellular structures that are formed from small and simple precursors that act as building blocks.

Xenobiotics and Redox Metabolism

Science of Metabolism

Metabolism Thermodynamics

Metabolism Catabolism

Gibbs Free Energy and Metabolism

Metabolism Investigation and Manipulation

Metabolism History

What are Cytochrome P450 (CYP) Enzymes?

What are Coenzymes?

Metabolism Key Biochemicals

Science of Metabolism

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Metabolism Control

Metabolism Evolution

What is Metabolism?

Metabolism Energy Transformations

An Overview of Nucleotide Metabolism

Latest Metabolism News and Research

MIT biologists discover cellular pathway that triggers colon cancer spread

Most colon cancer deaths are caused by the spread of tumor cells beyond the colon, usually to the liver. In a new study, MIT biologists identified a cellular pathway necessary for colorectal cancer metastasis.

24 Sep 2026

Review highlights how altered metabolism drives kidney cancer growth

Clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC), the most common subtype of kidney cancer, is increasingly understood as a malignancy shaped by profound changes in cellular metabolism.

24 Sep 2026

Mount Sinai researchers discover how Alzheimer's gene damages blood vessels

Mount Sinai researchers have identified how APOE4, the strongest genetic risk factor for Alzheimer's disease, damages the brain's blood vessels and promotes the buildup of abnormal proteins linked to neurodegenerative disease.

24 Sep 2026

Gut bacteria metabolites directly extend the lifespan of host flies

Gut microbiota influences multiple aspects of host physiology, including metabolic and immune functions.

24 Sep 2026

First foods bring an early functional shift in the infant gut microbiome

Researchers analyzing paired gut microbiome samples from 125 Irish infants found that complementary feeding was associated with early changes in microbial composition and metabolic potential, including an increased capacity for complex carbohydrate metabolism. Breastfeeding duration was more closely associated with microbial community development than the timing of solid-food introduction, while formula-fed infants showed more extensive functional pathway changes after solids were introduced.

24 Sep 2026

Obesity disrupts ILC2 metabolism through increased fatty acid uptake

A group of innate immune cells, known as group 2 lymphoid cells (ILC2), are essential for maintaining a stable metabolism in adipose tissue. Obesity significantly impairs the number and function of ILC2 cells, leading to the progression of metabolism-related inflammation.

23 Sep 2026

Menopause leaves a blood protein signature linked to brain aging and Alzheimer’s risk

Researchers identified a 16-protein blood signature associated with menopause that tracked more strongly with reproductive hormones than chronological age and was largely replicated in an independent UK Biobank cohort. Higher menopause proteomic scores were also associated with less favorable proteomic aging estimates and poorer cognitive outcomes in older women, including incident Alzheimer’s dementia, although the observational evidence does not establish causality.

23 Sep 2026

A child's gut microbiome may offer early clues to type 1 diabetes risk

Researchers tracking 887 children at high genetic risk of type 1 diabetes identified three distinct patterns of gut microbiome maturation during early childhood. One pattern was associated with substantially higher risk of islet autoantibody seroconversion or type 1 diabetes, while host genetic background altered the risk associated with another pattern.

23 Sep 2026

A chemical used in BPA-free products may have a connection to diabetes control

In adults with type 2 diabetes receiving oral glucose-lowering therapy, higher plasma BPS concentrations were associated with higher HbA1c after accounting for demographic factors, medication adherence, and diet, whereas BPA was not associated with HbA1c. The BPS association was modest and no longer statistically significant after further adjustment for BPA, BMI, and physical fitness, supporting the need for larger studies to determine whether reducing exposure could improve glycemic control.

23 Sep 2026

New 3D lipid atlas maps the chemistry of mouse brains

The brain is often described in terms of cells and wiring. However, much of it is made of lipids that form the membranes of neurons, wrap nerve fibers with myelin, and help brain cells send and receive signals.

23 Sep 2026

Brain organoids reveal new clues for childhood epilepsy treatments

Tiny, year-old human brain organoids that mimic the brain of a newborn are providing new clues to potential treatments for a leading genetic cause of childhood epilepsy that typically manifests as the brain matures shortly after birth.

23 Sep 2026

Higher BMI linked to brain differences in preschool children

Children as young as 4 with a higher body mass index (BMI) showed differences in several brain regions involved in reward, taste and hunger, according to a new study from Florida International University.

22 Sep 2026

Marine carbohydrates offer valuable new resources for drug development

The ocean contains diverse carbohydrates that could serve as valuable resources for drug development. Algae, marine animals and microorganisms produce polysaccharides and related molecules with structures that are uncommon on land, including distinctive sulfate patterns, sugar linkages and branched architectures.

22 Sep 2026

New spin-out launches technology to revolutionize hormone disorder diagnosis

The University of Birmingham and Imperial College London have announced the launch of Intelligent Mass Spec Solutions Ltd (IMS Solutions), a new spin-out that is set to revolutionize diagnosis of conditions featuring disordered steroid hormone metabolism.

22 Sep 2026

Retinal dopamine levels rise during inherited retinal degeneration

A new study by researchers at the University of Eastern Finland (UEF) reports changes in the dopamine system of the retina during inherited retinal degeneration.

22 Sep 2026

Regular exercisers show distinct metabolic and immune signatures in blood

Researchers compared blood samples from 40 regular exercisers and 46 sedentary adults and found differences in metabolites, blood chemistry, and immune cell gene activity. The patterns suggested greater fatty acid use and altered immune signaling among exercisers, but the study could not establish that exercise caused these differences.

21 Sep 2026

Experimental RNA therapy enhances weight loss while preserving lean muscle

GLP-1 drugs have revolutionized obesity treatment, but they can lead people to lose muscle mass along with fat. And when patients stop treatment, they often regain their weight - primarily as fat.

21 Sep 2026

Several cups of coffee a day showed no clear diabetes link over 10 years

Researchers followed 1,158 adults in Italy for 10 years, comparing those who drank at least two to three cups of coffee daily with those who drank none. They found no statistically significant difference in new cases of impaired fasting glucose or type 2 diabetes, but the small non-consumer group limits how confidently the study can rule out a difference in risk.

21 Sep 2026

Looking for GLP-1 advice online? Likes may tell you less than you think

Researchers assessed 128 videos about GLP-1 medications on Douyin and Bilibili and found that Bilibili videos scored higher on two measures of reliability and transparency. Longer videos received higher quality scores, while popularity did not consistently reflect information quality.

21 Sep 2026