Latin and Greek within Science - Energy Flow Etymology

Metabolism

1878 in the physiology sense of "the sum of the chemical changes within the body by which the protoplasm is renewed, changed, or prepared for excretion,"
from Greek metabole "a change," from metaballein "to change," from meta "change" + ballein "to throw".

Chemical

from chemic "of alchemy" (a worn-down derivative of Medieval Latin alchimicus).

Catabolic

1876, katabolism, "destructive metabolism,"
from Greek from kata "down" + ballein "to throw".

Anabolic

"pertaining to the process of building up" (especially in metabolism), 1876, with -ic + Greek from ana "up, upward"  + ballein "to throw."

Reactant

1640s, "to exert, as a thing acted upon, an opposite action upon the agent," from re- "back" + “act” from Latin actus, past participle of agere "to set in motion, drive, drive forward," hence "to do, perform,"

Product

early 15c., "mathematical quantity obtained by multiplication," from Medieval Latin productum, in classical Latin "something produced," noun use of neuter past participle of producere "bring forth"

Endothermic

Endo- word-forming element meaning "inside, within, internal," from Greek endon "in, within."
from Greek therme "heat, feverish heat."

Exothermic

from Greek exō (adv.) "outside," related to ex (prep.) "out of"
from Greek therme "heat, feverish heat."

Enzyme

from Modern Greek enzymos "leavened," from en "in" + zymē "leaven"
Hence, where we get leavened bread: substance, typically yeast, that is used in dough to make it rise

Catalyst

1650s, "dissolution,"
from Latinized form of Greek katalysis "dissolution, a dissolving"
from kata "down" (or "completely"), + lyein "to loosen"

Denaturation

from Latin de "down, down from, from, off; concerning", also used as a prefix in Latin, usually meaning "down, off, away, from among, down from," (defenestration; the action of throwing someone out of a window.)

Fenestra (latin noun); window


from Latin natura "course of things; natural character, constitution, quality; the universe," literally "birth," from natus "born," past participle of nasci "to be born."

Matrix

from Latin mātrix (genitive mātricis) "pregnant animal,"
in Late Latin "womb,"
also "source, origin," from māter (genitive mātris) "mother"

Aerobic

from Greek aero- "air" + bios "life"

Anaerobic

from Greek an- "without" + aēr "air" + bios "life"

Fermenstration

from Late Latin fermentationem (nominative fermentatio), noun of action from past-participle stem of Latin fermentare "to ferment"