Definition of Metabolites

The body's ability to break down and use food for energy is a highly complex process. Each step within the metabolism process is made up of different chemical reactions that require certain chemical components to be present. Metabolites play an essential role in the breakdown of nutrients to create energy and maintain the body's overall health.

Identification

Metabolites are the chemical compounds that make the metabolism of food, water and drugs possible. Metabolism involves the breakdown of complex organic materials, which are then used as an energy source within the body. The body uses this energy for growth, reproduction and overall body maintenance. Metabolites are present at all stages of the metabolism process. They assist in the breakdown of vitamins and amino acids, as well as in the construction of complex molecules.

Metabolic Processes

The process of metabolism consists of a series of pathways in which one chemical is transformed into another by enzyme reactions that take place along the way. Enzymes play an essential role in coordinating and regulating how materials are processed throughout the metabolism process. Metabolites and enzymes work together along these pathways to process nutrients and energy for the body's use. In total, there are approximately 2900 known metabolites present within the human body.

The Role of Metabolites

Within each phase of metabolism, energy is either created or used to carry out certain biological functions. Fats, carbohydrates and proteins are each metabolized by different sets of metabolites. End products of the metabolism process--like urea, carbon dioxide and protein--also include metabolite materials that were broken down along the way. The overall process is made up of catabolic reactions in which materials are broken down, and anabolic reactions in which complex molecules are formed.

Types of Metabolites

Metabolites come in three types--primary, secondary and metabolomes. The primary forms are the small molecules that operate on the cellular level. Secondary types are the larger molecules involved in processes that maintain the health of the body. Eliminating wastes or toxins from the system and maintaining the health of the skin's cells are tasks that involve secondary metabolites. Metabolomes are actually networks of metabolites that work together with enzyme reactions throughout the metabolism process. In terms of how the body metabolizes certain drugs, metabolites can also appear as by-products from the body's reaction to a drug.

Metabolomics

The study of metabolites has given rise to a whole new field of research called metabolomics. Metabolomics is concerned with measuring and analyzing the levels of metabolites in the system. This information helps with understanding how these materials behave under different bodily conditions. These research results play a role in determining how drugs are metabolized and how they affect the body. Metabolomics is an interdisciplinary field that incorporates practices from the fields of biology, chemistry, mathematics and computer science.

Resources

• Human Metabolome Database