Â© 2017 AccuWeather, Inc. All Rights Reserved. AccuWeather.com is a registered trademark of AccuWeather, Inc. Terms of usage under which this service is provided Privacy Statement | Ad Choices
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.
Catabolism is enzyme regulated reactions that release energy (breakdown of compounds). Anabolism are enzyme regulated, energy requiring reactions that build complex molecules from simpler ones. Catabolic reactions provide the building blocks for anabolic reactions and provide the energy to drive those reactions.