Metabolism is the set of physical and chemical processes and reactions to which a cell is subjected; these are the ones They will allow them their main activities, such as reproduction, growth, maintenance of their structures and the response to the stimuli they receive.
The functioning of the metabolism is due to two different processes but they are coupled and dependent on each other. The catabolism which is responsible for releasing the energy, while the other process, the anabolic, will use this energy to rebuild chemical bonds and build other components of cells such as proteins and nucleic acids.
And it will be your own metabolism which will decide which substances are nutritious for itself and which are not and of course this will be different for each variant of metabolism. For example, this is explained in what is commonly said when a person eats a chocolate and it hurts him tremendously; On the other hand, for another person, ingesting that same chocolate does not cause him any harm.
Therefore, it is understandable to recognize that there are marked differences in metabolism in living organisms. Thus, interspecific differences are defined, that is, between the different species. For example, cattle can digest cellulose and incorporate it as a calorie-containing nutrient; On the other hand, human beings do not have the necessary enzyme for this process, so cellulose is excreted as it was ingested and provides us with energy. In the same way, individual differences are described, between different people, as we mentioned with the example of chocolate. Genetic, ethnic and even cultural factors influence there.
Regarding the study of metabolism, it is defined as very vast and dates back more or less 400 years ago, being the product of numerous contributions to the matter made by doctors, scientists, physicists and chemists. The doctor Santorio Santorio in the seventeenth century was the first to experiment with himself weighing himself before and after eating, sleeping, having sex, excreting, working, discovering that most of the food he ingested was lost due to insensitive perspiration . This was followed by different efforts made by other personalities such as Luis Pasteur, Friedrich Wöhler and Eduard Buchner, among others.
Getting into the proper functioning of metabolism, it is discovered that most of the structures that make up animals, plants and animals belong to the three types of basic molecules that are essential for life: amino acids, lipids and carbohydrates. Then, taking into account this situation of exclusive importance, what metabolism will do is synthesize the molecules in the construction of cells and tissues or degrade them, to use them as an energy resource at the time of digestion. In this sense, it is essential to recognize a great difference in the metabolism of plants compared to what happened with animals and fungi. Plants include in their metabolism a stage of anabolism called photosynthesis, in which they are capable of accumulating light energy from the sun in the form of chemical energy, by synthesizing carbohydrates from inorganic matter (water and carbon dioxide). Fungi and animals lack this capacity, which is why they can only incorporate nutrients prepared to be used for their processes of anabolism (synthesis of their own molecules) and catabolism (release of energy and elimination of waste).
Some tips to activate the metabolism are similar to those of any type of condition or eating disorder: carry out physical exercise, preferably in the morning and a balanced diet divided into several times during the day. Although some aspects of metabolism are not correctable, such as its genetic component, many others are at least modifiable, so correct nutrition and physical activity can be associated with notable and profitable changes when applied recurrently, systematically and with the correct scientific and professional advice.
