Metabolism, n
1. Biology.
“Structural change in a tissue. Obsolete. rare.“
2. Biochemistry.
„The chemical processes that occur within
a living organism in order to maintain life; the interconnected
sequences of mostly enzyme-catalysed chemical reactions by which
a cell, tissue, organ, etc., sustains energy production, and
synthesizes and breaks down complex molecules; anabolism and
catabolism considered together; the overall rate at which these
processes occur. Also: the chemical changes undergone in an
organism by any particular substance.“
3. figurative and in extended use:
e.g. „As the sky grows darker the metabolism of the city slows down.“
4. Architecture.
„With capital initial. A modernist movement in Japanese
architecture, which viewed the city as a single entity and
emphasized the need for an integrated approach to urban life, with
buildings serving both public and private functions and being
adaptable to changes in the city as a whole“
5. Theology.
„The change undergone by the Eucharistic elements when
they are consecrated.”