A review and discussion. Metab. is one of the most complex cellular processes. Connections between biochem. reactions via substrate and product metabolites create complex metabolic networks that may be analyzed using network theory, stoichiometric anal., and information on protein structure/function and metabolite properties. These frameworks take into consideration different aspects of enzyme chem., enzyme structure and metabolite structure, and demonstrate the impact of metabolic biochem. on the systemic properties of metab. The integration of these approaches and the systematic classification of enzyme function and the chem. structure of metabolites enhance the understanding of metab., and could improve scientists' ability to predict enzyme function and novel metabolic pathways. [on SciFinder (R)]