* Anabolism: This refers to the metabolic processes that build complex molecules from simpler ones. These processes require energy input, often in the form of ATP.
* Synthesis Reactions: These are chemical reactions where two or more smaller molecules combine to form a larger molecule.
Example:
* Building a protein: Amino acids (small molecules) are joined together to form a protein (large molecule) - This is an anabolic process and a synthesis reaction.
Therefore, the terms anabolic and synthesis are often used interchangeably to describe reactions where new molecules are created.
