Kataboler

Kataboler is a term used in biology to describe the catabolic portion of metabolism, comprising the metabolic processes that break down complex molecules into simpler ones. Through these reactions, chemical energy stored in bonds is released and captured as ATP, NADH, and FADH2, which power cellular activities and provide building blocks for other pathways. Kataboler activity is balanced with anabolic processes, which construct larger molecules from smaller components.

Common kataboler pathways include glycolysis, which degrades glucose to pyruvate with ATP and NADH production; beta-oxidation, which breaks down fatty acids into acetyl-CoA along with NADH and FADH2; and proteolysis, which degrades proteins into amino acids. The citric acid cycle and oxidation of NADH and FADH2 in the mitochondrial electron transport chain further extract energy as ATP. Catabolism can be aerobic or anaerobic, depending on the availability of oxygen and the specific pathway involved.

Regulation of kataboler processes is linked to cellular energy status. High levels of AMP or ADP stimulate catabolic pathways, while high ATP inhibits them. Hormonal signals, such as glucagon and cortisol, generally promote catabolism, whereas insulin tends to favor anabolic activity. Kataboler pathways provide energy for maintenance, locomotion, and stress responses, and supply carbon skeletons for biosynthetic processes.

Etymology and usage vary by language; in Norwegian and Danish, kataboler is commonly used to refer to catabolic processes. In English, the term is typically described as catabolic pathways or catabolic processes.