Cellular metabolism is intriguing from both a biological and a chemical perspective. Not only is the complex and crowded environment of a cell capable of supporting several distinct reactions, but also these reactions occur at room temperature and pressure, using only water as a solvent. The food we eat, consisting mainly of carbohydrates, lipids, proteins and nucleotides, is broken down or salvaged to obtain the building blocks required for growth and repair and the energy required to sustain cellular activity. In this seminar lecture, we will view cellular metabolism through a chemical lens, and understand the physiological relevance of the reactions that occur in our body.