Metabolism is defined as which of the following?

Metabolism is defined as which of the following?

• A. The process of breaking down foods and converting them to energy.
• B. The rate at which the heart beats at rest.
• C. The storage of energy in adipose tissue.
• D. The measurement of oxygen consumption during exercise.

Answer: (A)

Metabolism is the set of chemical reactions in the body that turns the foods you eat into energy and the building blocks your cells need. This includes breaking down nutrients to release energy (catabolic processes) and using that energy to build new molecules needed for growth and repair (anabolic processes). The statement that describes breaking down foods and converting them to energy captures this energy-producing aspect of metabolism, which is the core idea tested here. The other statements point to heart rate at rest, fat storage, or measuring oxygen use during exercise—important concepts in physiology, but they’re not the definition of metabolism itself.

Metabolism is the set of chemical reactions in the body that turns the foods you eat into energy and the building blocks your cells need. This includes breaking down nutrients to release energy (catabolic processes) and using that energy to build new molecules needed for growth and repair (anabolic processes). The statement that describes breaking down foods and converting them to energy captures this energy-producing aspect of metabolism, which is the core idea tested here. The other statements point to heart rate at rest, fat storage, or measuring oxygen use during exercise—important concepts in physiology, but they’re not the definition of metabolism itself.