ANABOLISM

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does anabolism mean? 

• ANABOLISM (noun)
  The noun ANABOLISM has 1 sense:

1. the synthesis in living organisms of more complex substances (e.g., living tissue) from simpler ones together with the storage of energy

  Familiarity information: ANABOLISM used as a noun is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• ANABOLISM (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

The synthesis in living organisms of more complex substances (e.g., living tissue) from simpler ones together with the storage of energy

Classified under:

Nouns denoting natural processes

Synonyms:

anabolism; constructive metabolism

Hypernyms ("anabolism" is a kind of...):

absorption; assimilation (the process of absorbing nutrients into the body after digestion)

Holonyms ("anabolism" is a part of...):

metabolic process; metabolism (the organic processes (in a cell or organism) that are necessary for life)

Antonym:

catabolism (breakdown in living organisms of more complex substances into simpler ones together with release of energy)

Derivation:

anabolic (characterized by or promoting constructive metabolism)

anabolic (of or related to the synthetic phase of metabolism)

 Context examples 

Similar to testosterone, fluoxymesterone binds to and activates specific nuclear receptors, resulting in an increase in protein anabolism, a decrease in amino acid catabolism, and retention of nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorus.

(Fluoxymesterone, NCI Thesaurus)

Anabolism entails the construction of complex organic molecules from simpler precursors, while catabolism involves the breakdown of complex substances into simpler molecules.

(Metabolic Process, NCI Thesaurus)

Upon binding to various ligands, three classes of proteins are synthesized including lipid binding proteins, the ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters and cytochrome P450 member proteins which catalyze lipid anabolism, metabolism, and elimination.

(Lipid Metabolism and Toxicity Pathway, NCI Thesaurus/BIOCARTA)