Elwell, Walter A. Entry for 'Will'. Evangelical Dictionary of Theology. . 1997.
see metabolic rate. basal metabolism. the minimal energy expended for the maintenance of respiration, circulation, peristalsis, muscle tonus, body temperature, glandular activity and the other vegetative functions of the body. See also metabolic rate.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. In biology, basal rate is the rate of continuous supply of some chemical or process. In the case of diabetes mellitus, it is a low rate of continuous insulin supply needed for such purposes as controlling cellular glucose and amino acid uptake.