Question

Differentiate between primary and secondary metabolites. lease give 5 points.

Answer 1

• Unlike secondary metabolites, Primary metabolites are essential to cell growth, and they are involved directly in metabolic reactions such as respiration and photosynthesis.

• Most primary metabolites are identical among most organisms, whereas secondary metabolites are numerous and wide spread, unlike the primary metabolites.

• Secondary metabolites are derived by pathways in which primary metabolites involve. Therefore, secondary metabolites are considered as the end products of primary metabolites.

• Primary metabolites are produced during the growth phase of cell while secondary metabolites are produced during the non- growth phase of the cell.

• Secondary metabolites are accumulated by plant cells in very small quantities than primary metabolites.

• The growth phase where primary metabolites are produced is sometimes called ‘trophophase’, whereas the phase during which secondary metabolites are made is called ‘idiophase’.

• Most of the secondary metabolites are involved in defence reactions, unlike the primary metabolites.

• Proteins, carbohydrates, and lipids are the main primary metabolites, whereas secondary metabolites are alkaloids, phenolics, sterols, steroids, essential oils and lignins etc.


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