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constructive ; the synthesis in living organisms of more complex substances from simpler ones (opposed to ).
Contemporary Examples

In this way, anabolism and catabolism exist in balance with each other and are the ying and the yang of metabolism.
5 Metabolism Myths Debunked Sarah Whitman-Salkin August 24, 2009

anabolism requires the input of energy, in the form of food calories, and is the process by which the body stores energy.
5 Metabolism Myths Debunked Sarah Whitman-Salkin August 24, 2009

Historical Examples

Similar considerations as to the formation and breaking up of the molecules in anabolism and catabolism apply to polymerization.
The Mechanism of Life Stphane Leduc

Consider, for example, a centre of anabolism in a living organism.
The Mechanism of Life Stphane Leduc

A very noticeable expression of the anabolism of woman is her tendency to put on fat.
Sex and Society William I. Thomas

We may thus regard every centre of anabolism as a negative pole of diffusion.
The Mechanism of Life Stphane Leduc

Of course this may be a matter of anabolism, pure and simple.
Appletons’ Popular Science Monthly, January 1899 Various

The former is constructive metabolism, or anabolism; the latter, destructive metabolism, or katabolism.
A Practical Physiology Albert F. Blaisdell

anabolism, the formation of more complex chemical bodies by the agency of protoplasm, 86.
The Biological Problem of To-day Oscar Hertwig

The processes concerned in metabolism are chiefly those of building up, “anabolism,” and breaking down, “catabolism.”
Dietetics for Nurses Fairfax T. Proudfit

noun
a metabolic process in which complex molecules are synthesized from simpler ones with the storage of energy; constructive metabolism Compare catabolism
n.

1886; see anabolic + -ism.

anabolism a·nab·o·lism (ə-nāb’ə-lĭz’əm)
n.
The phase of metabolism in which simple substances are synthesized into the complex materials of living tissue.
an’a·bol’ic (ān’ə-bŏl’ĭk) adj.
anabolism
(ə-nāb’ə-lĭz’əm)
The phase of metabolism in which complex molecules, such as the proteins and fats that make up body tissue, are formed from simpler ones. Compare catabolism.

anabolic adjective

The chemical reactions that synthesize molecules in metabolism. (Compare catabolism.)

Note: Athletes often attempt to improve their performance by speeding up this molecule-building process through the use of drugs called anabolic steroids, despite the potential health risks involved. This use is outlawed in many athletic competitions, such as the Olympic Games.