anabolism

[ uh-nab-uh-liz-uhm ]
See synonyms for anabolism on Thesaurus.com
nounBiology, Physiology.
  1. constructive metabolism; the synthesis in living organisms of more complex substances from simpler ones (opposed to catabolism).

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Origin of anabolism

1
First recorded in 1885–90; ana- + (meta)bolism

Other words from anabolism

  • an·a·bol·ic [an-uh-bol-ik], /ˌæn əˈbɒl ɪk/, adjective
  • hy·per·a·nab·o·lism, noun

Words Nearby anabolism

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use anabolism in a sentence

  • In this way, anabolism and catabolism exist in balance with each other and are the ying and the yang of metabolism.

    5 Metabolism Myths Debunked | Sarah Whitman-Salkin | August 25, 2009 | THE DAILY BEAST
  • anabolism requires the input of energy, in the form of food calories, and is the process by which the body stores energy.

    5 Metabolism Myths Debunked | Sarah Whitman-Salkin | August 25, 2009 | THE DAILY BEAST
  • anabolism, the formation of more complex chemical bodies by the agency of protoplasm, 86.

  • In the processes of anabolism the products absorbed are built into the tissues and cells of the body.

    Dietetics for Nurses | Fairfax T. Proudfit
  • The processes concerned in metabolism are chiefly those of building up, “anabolism,” and breaking down, “catabolism.”

    Dietetics for Nurses | Fairfax T. Proudfit

British Dictionary definitions for anabolism

anabolism

/ (əˈnæbəˌlɪzəm) /


noun
  1. a metabolic process in which complex molecules are synthesized from simpler ones with the storage of energy; constructive metabolism: Compare catabolism

Origin of anabolism

1
C19: from ana- + (meta) bolism

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for anabolism

anabolism

[ ə-năbə-lĭz′əm ]


  1. The phase of metabolism in which complex molecules, such as the proteins and fats that make up body tissue, are formed from simpler ones. Compare catabolism.

Other words from anabolism

  • anabolic adjective

The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Cultural definitions for anabolism

anabolism

The chemical reactions that synthesize molecules in metabolism. (Compare catabolism.)

Notes for anabolism

Athletes often attempt to improve their performance by speeding up this molecule-building process through the use of drugs called anabolic steroids, despite the potential health risks involved. This use is outlawed in many athletic competitions, such as the Olympic Games.

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.