catabolic

American  

[kat-uh-bol-ik] / ˌkæt əˈbɒl ɪk /

adjective

Biology, Physiology.

1. involving or stimulating the breakdown of complex substances into simpler ones as part of the process of metabolism in living organisms (opposed to anabolic).

   The protein catabolic rate is the rate at which proteins break down in the body.

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Other Word Forms

• catabolically adverb

Etymology

Origin of catabolic

catabol(ism) ( def. ) + -ic

Example Sentences

On the other hand, the catabolic process of breaking sugar down into simpler molecules releases energy in a series of exergonic reactions.

From Textbooks • Jun. 9, 2022

The cell responds to the abundance of specific products by slowing down production during anabolic or catabolic reactions.

From Textbooks • Jun. 9, 2022

Figure 7.18 Glycogen from the liver and muscles, hydrolyzed into glucose-1-phosphate, together with fats and proteins, can feed into the catabolic pathways for carbohydrates.

From Textbooks • Jun. 9, 2022

This is both an anabolic and a catabolic process.

From Textbooks • Jun. 9, 2022

She has, if you please, become temporarily catabolic.

From A Short History of Women's Rights From the Days of Augustus to the Present Time. with Special Reference to England and the United States. Second Edition Revised, With Additions. by Hecker, Eugene Arthur