{"id":616,"date":"2017-04-16T02:54:33","date_gmt":"2017-04-16T02:54:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pressbooks.hcfl.edu\/bio1\/chapter\/6-2-metabolic-pathways\/"},"modified":"2025-08-29T17:59:46","modified_gmt":"2025-08-29T17:59:46","slug":"6-2-metabolic-pathways","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/pressbooks.hcfl.edu\/bio1\/chapter\/6-2-metabolic-pathways\/","title":{"raw":"Metabolic Pathways","rendered":"Metabolic Pathways"},"content":{"raw":"Consider the metabolism of sugar. This is a classic example of one of the many cellular processes that use and produce energy. Living things consume sugars as a major energy source, because sugar molecules have a great deal of energy stored within their bonds. For the most part, photosynthesizing organisms like plants produce these sugars. During photosynthesis, plants use energy (originally from sunlight) to convert carbon dioxide gas (CO2<\/sub>) into sugar molecules (like glucose: C6<\/sub>H12<\/sub>O6<\/sub>). They consume carbon dioxide and produce oxygen as a waste product. This reaction is summarized as:\n\n6CO2<\/sub> + 6H2<\/sub>O-->C6<\/sub>H12<\/sub>O6<\/sub> + 6O2<\/sub>\n\nBecause this process involves synthesizing an energy-storing molecule, it requires energy input to proceed. During the light reactions of photosynthesis, energy is provided by a molecule called adenosine triphosphate (ATP)<\/strong>, which is the primary energy currency of all cells. Just as the dollar is used as currency to buy goods, cells use molecules of ATP as energy currency to perform immediate work. In contrast, energy-storage molecules such as glucose are consumed only to be broken down to use their energy. The reaction that harvests the energy of a sugar molecule in cells requiring oxygen to survive can be summarized by the reverse reaction to photosynthesis. In this reaction, oxygen is consumed and carbon dioxide is released as a waste product. The reaction is summarized as:\n\nC6<\/sub>H12<\/sub>O6<\/sub> + 6O2<\/sub>-->6H2<\/sub>O + 6CO2<\/sub>\n\nBoth of these reactions involve many steps.\n\nThe processes of making and breaking down sugar molecules illustrate two examples of metabolic pathways. A metabolic pathway<\/strong> is a series of chemical reactions that takes a starting molecule and modifies it, step-by-step, through a series of metabolic intermediates, eventually yielding a final product. In the example of sugar metabolism, the first metabolic pathway synthesized sugar from smaller molecules, and the other pathway broke sugar down into smaller molecules. These two opposite processes\u2014the first requiring energy and the second producing energy\u2014are referred to as anabolic <\/strong>pathways (building polymers) and catabolic <\/strong>pathways (breaking down polymers into their monomers), respectively. Consequently, metabolism is composed of synthesis (anabolism) and degradation (catabolism) (Figure 3<\/strong>).\n\nIt is important to know that the chemical reactions of metabolic pathways do not take place on their own. Each reaction step is facilitated, or catalyzed, by a protein called an enzyme<\/strong>. Enzymes are important for catalyzing all types of biological reactions\u2014those that require energy as well as those that release energy.\n\n\"\"\n\nFigure 3 Catabolic pathways are those that generate energy by breaking down larger molecules. Anabolic pathways are those that require energy to synthesize larger molecules. Both types of pathways are required for maintaining the cell\u2019s energy balance.\n\n[h5p id=\"136\"]\n

References<\/h1>\nUnless otherwise noted, images on this page are licensed under CC-BY 4.0<\/a>\u00a0by\u00a0OpenStax<\/a>.\n\nText adapted from: OpenStax<\/span>, Concepts of Biology. OpenStax CNX. May 18, 2016 http:\/\/cnx.org\/contents\/b3c1e1d2-839c-42b0-a314-e119a8aafbdd@9.10","rendered":"

Consider the metabolism of sugar. This is a classic example of one of the many cellular processes that use and produce energy. Living things consume sugars as a major energy source, because sugar molecules have a great deal of energy stored within their bonds. For the most part, photosynthesizing organisms like plants produce these sugars. During photosynthesis, plants use energy (originally from sunlight) to convert carbon dioxide gas (CO2<\/sub>) into sugar molecules (like glucose: C6<\/sub>H12<\/sub>O6<\/sub>). They consume carbon dioxide and produce oxygen as a waste product. This reaction is summarized as:<\/p>\n

6CO2<\/sub> + 6H2<\/sub>O–>C6<\/sub>H12<\/sub>O6<\/sub> + 6O2<\/sub><\/p>\n

Because this process involves synthesizing an energy-storing molecule, it requires energy input to proceed. During the light reactions of photosynthesis, energy is provided by a molecule called adenosine triphosphate (ATP)<\/strong>, which is the primary energy currency of all cells. Just as the dollar is used as currency to buy goods, cells use molecules of ATP as energy currency to perform immediate work. In contrast, energy-storage molecules such as glucose are consumed only to be broken down to use their energy. The reaction that harvests the energy of a sugar molecule in cells requiring oxygen to survive can be summarized by the reverse reaction to photosynthesis. In this reaction, oxygen is consumed and carbon dioxide is released as a waste product. The reaction is summarized as:<\/p>\n

C6<\/sub>H12<\/sub>O6<\/sub> + 6O2<\/sub>–>6H2<\/sub>O + 6CO2<\/sub><\/p>\n

Both of these reactions involve many steps.<\/p>\n

The processes of making and breaking down sugar molecules illustrate two examples of metabolic pathways. A metabolic pathway<\/strong> is a series of chemical reactions that takes a starting molecule and modifies it, step-by-step, through a series of metabolic intermediates, eventually yielding a final product. In the example of sugar metabolism, the first metabolic pathway synthesized sugar from smaller molecules, and the other pathway broke sugar down into smaller molecules. These two opposite processes\u2014the first requiring energy and the second producing energy\u2014are referred to as anabolic <\/strong>pathways (building polymers) and catabolic <\/strong>pathways (breaking down polymers into their monomers), respectively. Consequently, metabolism is composed of synthesis (anabolism) and degradation (catabolism) (Figure 3<\/strong>).<\/p>\n

It is important to know that the chemical reactions of metabolic pathways do not take place on their own. Each reaction step is facilitated, or catalyzed, by a protein called an enzyme<\/strong>. Enzymes are important for catalyzing all types of biological reactions\u2014those that require energy as well as those that release energy.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Figure 3 Catabolic pathways are those that generate energy by breaking down larger molecules. Anabolic pathways are those that require energy to synthesize larger molecules. Both types of pathways are required for maintaining the cell\u2019s energy balance.<\/p>\n

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