Chapter 8 Metabolism The totality of an organism?s chemical reactions An emergent property of life that arises from orderly interactions between molecules A chemical reaction is an alteration in the chemical properties of a molecule Often these chemical properties of a molecule are changed in a series of steps Ex: breaking down and changing the chemistry of what you eat A metabolic pathway is a series of steps that alter a molecule to manage material and energy It begins with a specific molecule, which is then altered in a series of defined steps, resulting in a certain product Therefore, metabolism is the management of materials and energy in an organism utilizing chemical reactions in specific pathways 2 Basic Metabolic Pathways