What are metabolic pathways?
All cells produce substances that are essential for them to function properly.
Metabolic pathways are integrated and controlled reactions within a cell. These reactions are controlled by the presence or absence of A protein which catalyses or speeds up a chemical reaction. which act as A substance that increases the rate of a chemical reaction without being used up..
In animals, specific metabolic pathways can produce vitamins and haemoglobin.
Metabolic pathways can be described as a series of chemical reactions that:
- start with a A substance on which enzymes act.
- finish with an end product
Thousands of metabolic pathways exist and most involve multiple steps 鈥 some can be hundreds of steps long! All metabolic pathways together form a complex network that is necessary to maintain life.