metabolism

noun

1. (countable, uncountable)The chemical processes that occur within a living organism in order to maintain life.

   “The metabolisms of aerobic bacteria require oxygen”

2. (broadly, countable, uncountable)The rate at which these processes occur for a given organism

   “Small animals have a much higher metabolism than large animals because they lose more body heat”

3. (broadly, countable, figuratively, uncountable)The processes that maintain any dynamic system.

   “The results of this generalized speedup of the corporate metabolism are multiple: shorter product life cycles, more leasing and renting, more frequent buying and selling, more ephemeral consumption patterns, […]”

name

1. A post-war Japanese architectural movement that fused ideas about architectural megastructures with those of organic biological growth.