Catabolism

Catabolism is the set of metabolic reactions that break complex molecules into simpler ones, often releasing energy that cells capture in usable forms.

Glycolysis: A pathway that converts glucose into pyruvate while producing ATP and NADH. It begins glucose breakdown and captures some of its chemical energy.
Metabolism: The complete set of chemical reactions that sustain an organism or cell. Catabolism is one of metabolism’s two broad, interdependent divisions.
Cellular respiration: A set of pathways that extracts energy from fuel molecules, often using oxygen to produce ATP. It is a major route by which cells catabolize fuels aerobically.
Fasting: A period of abstaining from food, during which the body shifts its fuel use. Fasting increases reliance on stored fuels and alters catabolic pathway activity.
Citric acid cycle: A cyclic pathway that oxidizes acetyl groups to carbon dioxide and transfers energy to electron carriers. It oxidizes products of carbohydrate, fat, and protein breakdown.
Anabolism: Metabolic reactions that build complex molecules from simpler precursors, usually requiring energy. It contrasts breakdown with the energy-consuming construction paired to it.
Basal metabolic rate: The rate of energy expenditure by an awake, resting person under specified conditions. Resting energy use depends substantially on ongoing catabolic and other metabolic activity.
Cachexia: A disease-associated syndrome of weight loss, muscle wasting, and systemic metabolic change. Persistent tissue breakdown can contribute to muscle loss in this syndrome.
Oxidative phosphorylation: ATP production driven by electron transport and a proton gradient across a membrane. It uses reducing power from catabolism to make much of the ATP in aerobic cells.
ATP: A nucleotide that transfers usable chemical energy in cells. Catabolic pathways often conserve released energy by producing ATP.

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BiosynthesisCompared with: Catabolism degrades molecules, whereas biosynthesis builds them.