APA Dictionary of Psychology

n. the physical and chemical processes within a living cell or organism that are necessary to maintain life. It includes catabolism, the breaking down of complex molecules into simpler ones, often with the release of energy; and anabolism, the synthesis of complex molecules from simple ones. See also basal metabolism; carbohydrate metabolism; fat metabolism; protein metabolism. [term coined by German physiologist Theodor Schwann (1810–1882)] —metabolic adj.