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Catabolic reactions give out energy. They are exergonic. In a catabolic reaction large molecules are broken down into smaller ones. For example, the reverse of the condensation reactions described above, i.e. hydrolysis reactions, are catabolic.
From the standpoint of biochemistry, catabolic reactions are those that break complex molecules into simpler ones, usually with the release of heat; anabolic reactions create complex molecules from simpler ones, with the heat generated in catabolic reactions being the driving force for anabolic ones.