CATABOLISM AND ANABOLISM #8

Catabolic and Anabolic reactions are metabolic processes. A catabolic reaction is one that breaks down large molecules to produce energy; an example is digestion. An anabolic reaction is one that involves creating large molecules out of smaller molecules; an example would be when your body makes fat out of extra nutrients you eat.

Anabolism, together with catabolism, are the two series of chemical processes in cells that are, together, called metabolism. Anabolic reactions are divergent processes. That is, relatively few types of raw materials are used to synthesize a wide variety of end products. This results in an increase in cellular size or complexity—or both.
Anabolic processes produce peptides, proteins,  polysaccharides, lipids, and nucleic acids. These molecules comprise all the materials of living cells, such as membranes and chromosomes, as well as the specialized products of specific types of cells, such as enzymes, antibodies, hormones, and neurotransmitters.
Catabolism, the opposite of anabolism, produces smaller molecules used by the cell to synthesize larger molecules, as will be described below. Thus, in contrast to the divergent reactions of anabolism, catabolism is a convergent process, in which many different types of molecules are broken down into relatively few types of end products.