Primary and Secondary Metabolites

PRIMARY AND SECONDARY METABOLITES

The most exciting aspect of chemistry deals with isolating thousands of compounds, small and big, from living organisms, determining their structure and if possible synthesising them.

If one were to make a list of biomolecules, such a list would have thousands of organic compounds including amino acids, sugars, etc.

We can call these biomolecules as 'metabolites'.

In animal tissues, one notices the presence of all such categories of compounds. For example, proteins, carbohydrates, fats, amino acids, nucleic acids.

These are called primary metabolites.

However, when one analyses plant, fungal and microbial cells, one would see thousands of compounds other than these primary metabolites which are called secondary metabolites, such as alkaloids, flavonoids, rubber, essential oils, antibiotics, coloured pigments, scents, gums and spices.

Difference between in Primary and Secondary Metabolites

Primary metabolites have identifiable functions and play known roles in normal physiological processes.

While many of the secondary metabolites are useful to 'human welfare' (e.g., rubber, drugs, spices, scents and pigments) their physiological role is unknown.

Some secondary metabolites have ecological importance too.

Some Secondary Metabolites

Let us take a detailed look at various micromolecules and macromolecules in a cell.