Q.Describe the concept of metabolic pool.

Step 1. The metabolic pool is the reservoir of biomolecules present in the cell at any time, which enzymes can act on to produce whatever products the cell currently needs.

Step 2. Its significance is that it allows one type of biomolecule to be converted into another — for example, carbohydrates can be converted to fats, and vice versa.

Step 3. Catabolic reactions such as glycolysis and the Krebs cycle feed intermediates into this pool (besides supplying ATP), and these metabolites are added to, or withdrawn from, the pool according to the cell's need. …

• Describing the metabolic pool as if it were a fixed set of molecules, rather than a dynamic reservoir constantly added to and withdrawn from. …