metabolite

[muh-tab-uh-lahyt]

noun

Biology, Physiology.

1. a product of metabolic action.

metabolite

/ mɪˈtæbəˌlaɪt /

noun

1. a substance produced during or taking part in metabolism

metabolite

1. A substance produced by metabolism.

2. 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.

Word History and Origins

Origin of metabolite¹

First recorded in 1880–85; metabol(ism) + -ite ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of metabolite¹

C19: _metabol ( _ism ) + _-ite ¹

Example Sentences

In 2022, Dudley worked with collaborators in Panama to show that wild spider monkeys consume fermented fruit containing alcohol and later excrete alcohol metabolites in their urine.

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To explore this idea, the team cultured a large quantity of P. sanguinis for three days and then extracted the full mixture of metabolites produced by the microbe.

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"It's vital for helping the brain flush out metabolites and toxins."

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The researchers also highlight betaine -- a metabolite produced in the kidney -- as an oral compound that can imitate many of the rejuvenating effects normally linked to physical activity.

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These microbes aren't just involved in digestion; they also produce and modify thousands of compounds called metabolites.

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