to catabolize

1 9.8

To break down large substances in living things into smaller parts to release energy

verb
/kəˈtæbəˌlaɪz/

Specialized

: catabolizar

To sustain itself, the organism must catabolize complex carbohydrates into simpler sugars.

You start catabolizing your own muscle tissue, which is not good unless you're trying to get super lean.

Examples

During prolonged fasting, the body will catabolize stored fat to provide energy for survival.
You start catabolizing your own muscle tissue, which is not good unless you're trying to get super lean.

Rich Roll
Fasting animals are thought to undergo three sequential phases that correspond with the metabolic fuel that is predominantly catabolized to meet energy requirements.

Academic text (2011)
When protein intake is low, the body will catabolize muscle tissue for amino acids.

Synonyms

to metabolize

vsto catabolize

Specialized

19 6.5

Change food and chemicals inside a living thing so it can use them or get rid of them

is the specific breakdown process that releases energy within cells

Antonyms

to synthesize

55 6.4

To combine ideas or materials to make something new

Surface Forms

catabolize infinitive

catabolized past

catabolized past participle

catabolizing present participle

catabolizes third person singular

Morphology

catabolize = catabolism (transparent) = catabol + ize

The verb is formed by adding the productive verb-forming suffix '-ize' to the technical noun 'catabolism', yielding the expected meaning 'to undergo or cause catabolism'.

Etymology

Catabolize starts with the Greek part cata- meaning 'down' and the -bolize part comes from a word meaning 'to throw' or 'put'. A helpful image is 'throwing down' a large molecule into smaller pieces, which is exactly what to catabolize means when a cell breaks complex molecules to get energy.