Metabolites are small molecules that:

a) collectively make up the proteome of the cell
b) are not impeded by the plasma membrane
c) generally consist of 1,000 different substances

C) generally consist of 1,000 different substances

Explanation:

Metabolites are compounds, usually organic, that participate in the chemical reactions that take place at the cellular level. The set of these biochemical reactions, together with the intracellular physical-chemical processes, constitutes the cellular metabolism, the molecular basis of life. The metabolism includes the degradation of molecules for obtaining energy (catabolism) and the synthesis of molecules necessary for growth, reproduction and repair (anabolism).

The succession of metabolic reactions that transform a given initial substance into another is known as a metabolic pathway. The starting substance is known as a substrate or raw material. The final substance is usually known as the final product or metabolite (a metabolic pathway can generate several final products) and the intermediate substances as intermediate metabolites. An intermediate or final metabolite in one metabolic pathway may be the substrate in another, which makes the vast majority of metabolic pathways interconnected.

Metabolites can be classified into two large groups, primary and secondary. Primary metabolites are defined as those that are directly involved in the normal growth, development and reproduction of an organism with an important physiological function. On the contrary, secondary metabolites are not directly involved in these processes. The absence of a primary metabolite usually leads to immediate or short-term death while the absence of a secondary metabolite does not.

According to the different types and diverse functions that fulfill there are an immense amount of metabolites

not necessarily. higher fitness requires the organism to be reproductive successful. for example, an organism at age 10 with 15 offspring is much more fit than an organism at age 15 with only 5 offspring.