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 (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

This is both an anabolic and a catabolic process.

From Textbooks • Jun. 9, 2022

Physical exercise involves both anabolic and catabolic processes.

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

Remember that anabolic cellular pathways require energy to synthesize complex molecules from simpler ones and catabolic pathways release energy when complex molecules are broken down.

From Textbooks • Apr. 25, 2013

One had an anabolic metabolism, one a catabolic.

From The Venus Trap by Smith, Evelyn E.