Flux balance analysis (FBA) is a mathematical approach used in systems biology to analyze the flow of metabolites through metabolic networks. It is particularly useful for studying the metabolic pathways of microorganisms and for understanding how cells allocate resources between various biochemical processes. ### Key Features of Flux Balance Analysis: 1. **Metabolic Network Representation**: - Metabolic networks are typically represented as stoichiometric matrices, where the rows correspond to metabolites and the columns correspond to reactions.