Lipolysis

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The process by which stored fats are broken down into fatty acids and glycerol for energy use occurs through enzymatic reaction pathways A metabolic function that involves the enzymatic cleavage of triglycerides to yield free fatty acids and glycerol for metabolic energy This biochemical reaction involves degrading lipid compounds, mainly triglycerides, into fatty acids and glycerol, enabling energy release
2. The metabolic process converting stored fat molecules into free fatty acids and glycerol for energy release
3. An enzymatic reaction that decomposes triglycerides within fat cells into components used by the body as fuel

Etymology: Lipolysis is a modern scientific coinage, assembled in the 20th century from two Ancient Greek building blocks rather than used by the Greeks themselves. The first part, "lipo-", comes from Greek "lĭpos", meaning fat, from a Proto-Hellenic root that traces back to the same ancestral stem as the Greek word. The second part, "-lysis", comes from "lúein", meaning to loosen or break apart, and the suffix "-sis" that turns that verb into a noun for a process. Put together, the word literally describes the breaking down of fat. Each element is a familiar piece of scientific vocabulary. "Lipo-" appears in words such as "liposuction" and "lipid," while "-lysis" appears in terms like "hydrolysis" and "electrolysis," where a substance is split apart by a particular agent or process. Attaching them together gave biochemists a precise name for the breakdown of stored fat into fatty acids and glycerol that the body releases for energy.