Definitions
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
- n. The metabolic breakdown of complex molecules into simpler ones, often resulting in a release of energy.
Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
- n. In physiology, that phase of metabolism which consists in “a downward series of changes in which complex bodies are broken down with the setting free of energy into simpler and simpler waste bodies” (M. Foster): opposed to anabolism.
Wiktionary
- n. destructive metabolism, usually including the release of energy and breakdown of materials
GNU Webster's 1913
- n. the breakdown of more complex substances into simpler ones with release of energy, in living organisms; destructive or downward metabolism; -- a form of metabolism, opposed to
anabolism . See also disassimilation.
WordNet 3.0
- n. breakdown in living organisms of more complex substances into simpler ones together with release of energy
Etymologies
- cata- + (meta)bolism.
Examples
“NOT getting enough protein is a sure way to destroy muscle and promote catabolism, which is obviously detrimental to any type of fitness program or goal.”
“As the banana ripens the chlorophyll begins to break down a process called catabolism and the resulting products are concentrated in the banana peel.”
Telegraph.co.uk: news business sport the Daily Telegraph newspaper Sunday Telegraph
“As the banana ripens, the chlorophyll begins to break down - a process called catabolism - and the resulting products are concentrated in the banana peel.”
“This article describes the actual biology of metabolism at a cellular level, which explains just how those processes are carried out. reducing power to construct complex molecules, and perform life functions such as catabolism, in which a cell breaks down complex molecules to yield the chemical energy and reducing power.”
“Increased catabolism due to these factors can in turn lead to numerous health concerns including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, chronic lung conditions, arthritis, autoimmune diseases, neurodegenerative and neuromuscular diseases, cancer and more.”
“First, let's examine what increases catabolism, and then we will examine the unique role that adaptogens can play in slowing down the aging process.”
“Anabolism is a restorative, healing, balancing process, while catabolism is active, degenerative and stressful.”
“Increasing anabolism to more effectively counteract catabolism is key to the art of graceful aging.”
“There are two metabolic mechanisms involved in aging that are constantly operating in our body called anabolism and catabolism.”
“As Ronenn Roubenoff and Carmen Castaneda wrote in a paper titled “Sarcopenia—Understanding the Dynamics of Aging Muscle,” published in The Journal of the American Medical Association, “Sarcopenia is not a disease… but is the backdrop against which the drama of disease is played out: a body already depleted of protein because of aging is less able to withstand the protein catabolism that comes with acute illness or inadequate protein intake.””
Lists
These user-created lists contain the word ‘catabolism’.
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Logolepsy
"Luciferous Logolepsy is a collection of over 9,000 obscure English words. Though the definition of an 'English' word might seem to be straightforward, it is not. There exist so many adopted, deriv...
Anschauung, Areopagus, Argus, Briarean, Dei gratia, Dei judicium, Deo volente, Duecento, Foehn, Geflugelte Worte, Gegenschein, Hakenkreuz and 9230 more...
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There's a word for it
catkin, pastiche, badonkadonk, biome, omphaloscopy, pogonophobia, reptation, anathema, xyst, commodify, commoditize, monetize and 46 more...
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cata-, cat-, kata-
down(ward), wrongly or badly, completely, against
catadromous, catastrophe, katabatic, catachresis, cataclysm, catapult, catatonic, catatonia, catawampus, catalyst, catabolic, catabolism and 24 more...
john "You can accuse the disgraced ex-governor Eliot Spitzer of many things in his decision to flout the law by soliciting the services of a pricey prostitute: hypocrisy, egomania, sophomoric impulsiveness and self-indulgence, delusional ineptitude and boneheadedness. But one trait decidedly not on display in Mr. Spitzer’s splashy act of whole-life catabolism was originality."
The New York Times, "In Most Species, Faithfulness Is a Fantasy", by Natalie Angier, March 18, 2008 Mar 18, 2008