What does metabolism mean?
Word: Metabolism
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: Metabolism means all the chemical changes in a living body that turn food into energy and keep it working.
Word origin: From Greek metabole.
How do you spell metabolism?
Syllables: me - tab - o - lism
Tricky part: The vowel after the b is a quiet one, and students fill it with a or i: metabalism, metabilism.
Watch out for: metabalism, metabilism, metabollism
Memory tip: Think of your body as a motor burning fuel: the o in motor reminds you of the o after the b.
Metabolism in a sentence
Example 1: Babies have a quick metabolism, which helps explain why they feed so often.
Example 2: Lizards have a much slower metabolism than mice of the same size.
Example 3: Our biology chapter on metabolism takes up half of this week's revision.
Fun Fact
A hummingbird has one of the fastest metabolisms among birds, so it must feed many times a day.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Champ
Choose the correct option to make a meaningful word:
metabol___
a) izm
b) ism
c) asm
d) ysm
Show answer
b) ism. Organism and magnetism close the same way.
Spell Spies
Choose the misspelt word/s in the given sentence:
My older cousin wrote an article about how matabolism changes with age, and the neighbouring school printed it in its magazine.
a) only matabolism
b) matabolism and neighbouring
c) article and neighbouring
d) only neighbouring
Show answer
a) only matabolism. Neighbouring is the correct British form; the slip is in the opening syllable of the science word.
Word Tally
Give 2 marks for each correctly spelt word. How many marks in all?
metabolism, digestion, enzime, nutrient, respirration
a) 10
b) 8
c) 4
d) 6
Show answer
d) 6. Enzyme has a y and respiration one r, so three words score 2 marks each.
Jumble Tumble
What is the meaning of the word that can be formed from the given letters?
mboatmelis
a) the breaking down of rock by wind, rain and frost
b) the movement of water through a plant from root to leaf
c) the constant chemical work that powers every living cell
d) the slow change of a caterpillar into a butterfly
Show answer
c) the constant chemical work that powers every living cell. The letters make metabolism; the others describe transpiration, weathering and metamorphosis.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. A bear's metabolism slows down during its winter sleep. What does this mean for the bear?
a) it uses far less energy each day
b) it needs several large meals a day
c) it grows much faster in the cold
d) it can see better in the dark
Show answer
a) it uses far less energy each day
2. Which activity would raise your metabolism the most for a while?
a) a slow chat on the sofa
b) a long nap after lunch
c) a brisk game of football
d) a quiet hour of reading
Show answer
c) a brisk game of football
