Your body work hard and process the nutrients of what you have eaten. Whenever and whatever you eat or drink- a pie or a soda. Soon after digestion it turns into fuel or energy needed by your body. In other words it is known as metabolism. A number of chemical changes occur in our bodys cells converting nutrients into the energy required by the body to move, think, grow and function normally during metabolism.

These chemical reactions are controlled by some proteins and each reaction has something to do with particular body functions. Daily metabolic reactions are regulated by the body, and it is an important constant process for all living things beginning at birth and ending soon after death.

Two Important Processes

Plants and animals, not only human beings, require metabolism. Plants derive energy directly from sunlight and prepare sugars with that energy. When people and animals eat those plants, sugar is absorbed and broken down to change in to energy. The energy passes on to the cells throughout the body. These cells can either use the energy to store it up in the body tissue for use in future.

Metabolism is a balance of two processes taking place at the same time -the energy storage for development of tissue and the breaking down of sugars to supply energy for the body.
These two metabolic activities are termed as anabolism and catabolism. Constructive metabolism is also called anabolism that stores energy. New body cells are developed with its help. It also maintains tissues and stores energy for future use.

Catabolism is destructive in nature converting all nutrients into energy required for daily fuel needs of the body. Here energy is released in to your body for heat, movement, muscle contraction and other normal body functions. Because of the complexity of metabolic process in living beings it is considered to be influential in deciding the loss or gain in weight of the body.

Metabolic rate depends upon many factors like diet, physical activity and games. It also varies from one person to another which means that while one loses weight easily the other finds it extremely difficult to do so.