Net resources move into:
- growth
- repair
- reserve formation
- reproduction
Operational definition
Metabolic state.
A state in which net synthesis of a defined biological pool exceeds its breakdown.
The accumulating pool may be:
- structural biomass;
- proteins;
- nucleic acids;
- membranes;
- reproductive tissue;
- chemical reserves.
Anabolism must always specify which pool is increasing; an organism can be anabolic in one tissue while catabolic in another.