Final answer:
Catabolism is the metabolic breakdown of stored carbohydrates, fats, or proteins to provide energy. It is a set of chemical reactions in living things that breaks down molecules and releases energy. This process is essential for cellular metabolism and supports all cell functions.
Step-by-step explanation:
The metabolic breakdown of stored carbohydrates, fats, or proteins in order to provide energy is called catabolism. Catabolism is a set of chemical reactions in living things that breaks down molecules to release energy or obtain intermediates needed in other reactions. It is an essential process in cellular metabolism and is responsible for generating the energy needed for all cell functions.