metabolite
Americannoun
noun
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A substance produced by metabolism.
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A substance necessary for or taking part in a particular metabolic process. Examples of metabolites are glucose in the metabolism of sugars and starches, amino acids in the biosynthesis of proteins, and squalene in the biosynthesis of cholesterol.
Etymology
Origin of metabolite
First recorded in 1880–85; metabol(ism) + -ite 1
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
His team investigated urolithin A, or UroA, a naturally occurring microbial metabolite produced by gut bacteria after the digestion of foods including pomegranates, walnuts and berries.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 17, 2026
They compared metabolite levels among centenarians, offspring, and controls, while also identifying molecules that changed with chronological age.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 5, 2026
To create the compounds, the researchers combined several amino acids with tryptamine, a naturally occurring metabolite derived from the essential amino acid tryptophan.
From Science Daily ● May 14, 2026
Further analysis revealed that mice with the mutation produced increased levels of ATDR, a metabolite derived from vitamin A, in their brains.
From Science Daily ● Apr. 15, 2026
This naturally occurring and widely studied metabolite, known for its links to healthy aging, was found to restore key brain functions tied to memory that are disrupted in Alzheimer's disease.
From Science Daily ● Jan. 25, 2026
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