Primary Metabolites vs. Secondary Metabolites
Key Differences
Comparison Chart
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Known As
Phase
Occurrence
Quantities
Importance
Examples
Primary Metabolites vs. Secondary Metabolites
Microbial Metabolic products are actually the low molecular weight compound that is essential for the metabolic processes of cell or body. These products are divided into two main types, i.e., the primary metabolites and the secondary metabolites. Primary metabolites are the metabolic products that are formed during the growth phase of an organism to perform the physiological functions and to regulate the development of the cell whereas secondary metabolites are the final products of primary metabolism that are formed after the growth phase and play an important role in ecological and many other activities of the cell. Primary metabolites are produced in large numbers, and their extraction is easy while secondary metabolites are produced in small amount and their extraction is difficult. Amino acids and the vitamins etc. are the examples of primary metabolites whereas steroids and antibiotics etc. are the examples of secondary metabolites.
What are Primary Metabolites?
Primary metabolites are produced in trophophase or primary metabolism during the growth phase. They produced in the presence of all required nutrients. They play an important role in the growth, development, and reproduction of a cell. They maintain a normal physiological process, so they are also known as a central metabolite. The exponential growth of the microorganisms starts during tropophase. These metabolites are used in different industries for various purposes.
Types
- Primary Essential Metabolites: These are the compounds that are essential for cell growth and hence produced in adequate amount. Nucleosides, vitamins and amino acids are examples of the primary essential metabolites.
- Primary Metabolic End Products: These are the compounds that are the normal end products of the fermentation process of primary metabolism such as ethanol, acetone, lactic acid, and butanol, etc.
What are Secondary Metabolites?
Secondary metabolites produced during idiophase or secondary metabolism after the exponential phase ends. This phase occurs at the time of the limited nutrients or in the accumulation of waste products. They do not want to play a direct role in the growth of cell and are produced in small quantities. So, they are known as the end products of primary metabolites. Antibiotics, alkaloids, gibberellins, toxins, and steroids, etc. are examples of secondary metabolites. They are produced in a large number of industries and also support the cell to sustain their life for a long duration. Bacitracin that is derived from an organism Bacillus subtilis is an antibiotic that is commonly used as a topical drug.
