The metabolic process in which large, complex molecules are broken down into smaller, simpler molecules, releasing energy that cells can use.
From Greek katabole 'a throwing down' (kata- 'down' + ballein 'to throw'), combined with -ism. Coined in the late 1800s to describe the destructive phase of metabolism.
Catabolism is why digestion, breathing, and movement all feel energizing—you're literally converting the chemical bonds in food into the energy currency ATP that powers every cell in your body.
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