What do we call the sequence of enzyme-catalyzed biochemical reactions occurring within cells?

The sequence of enzyme-catalyzed biochemical reactions occurring within cells is referred to as a metabolic pathway. This term specifically describes a series of interconnected biochemical reactions that transform a starting substrate into a final product, typically facilitated by specific enzymes at each step. Metabolic pathways can be linear, branched, or cyclical and include processes such as glycolysis, the citric acid cycle, and photosynthesis. Each pathway is essential for cellular functions and is tightly regulated to maintain homeostasis within the organism.

While "metabolism" broadly encompasses all chemical reactions in the body, including both anabolic and catabolic processes, it is a general term rather than the specific term for the ordered sequence of reactions. "Biochemical synthesis" typically refers to the generation of complex molecules from simpler ones and is not as encompassing as metabolic pathways. "Cell respiration" refers specifically to the processes that produce energy from nutrients, which is just one type of metabolic pathway.