Question

The term metabolism refers to
A. Release of energy
B. Gain of energy
C. Release or gain of energy
D. Catabolism of a reaction

Answer 1

Hint: Metabolism is defined as the total of all the chemical reactions that take place at a cellular level .Nutrients are broken down into different fundamental units which are then used for different pathways and structures. This process occurs inside the body through several pathways. It is very important for the body's processes such as growth, reproduction, and response to stimuli.

Complete answer:
Metabolism-It is defined as the total of all the chemical reactions that take place at a cellular level whose ultimate goal is to provide energy. All the processes occurring in the body is a product of the metabolism. The basic principle is to convert food to energy. It is a total of catabolism and anabolism.
Catabolism is the breakdown process of molecules under metabolism. This is the main process that leads to the release of energy.
Anabolism is the synthesis process which produces new compounds which are also required by the cells for different functions.
Therefore the term metabolism refers to the release of energy after the reaction is completed. But there is also utilization of energy during the anabolic process. Therefore, option (a) is not the correct answer.
Option (b) is not correct because the gain of energy does not take place during either of the processes of metabolism but it involves the release of energy.
Option (d) is also incorrect because not only catabolism occurs in the metabolism process, but along with it, anabolism is also involved in the process of metabolism.
Release or gain of energy is the correct option because both the phenomena occur together. Catabolism releases energy and anabolism utilizes energy.

Hence, the correct answer is option (C).

Note: Metabolism is one of the most important phenomena to categorize the weight gain and calorie consumption for an organism. A higher metabolism means more calories are required to maintain weight. Lower metabolism means that whatever the person eats will be utilized very slowly and this leads to the high-calorie content in the body. Hence, an increase in weight depends highly upon the metabolism of food in the body.