Final answer:
Catabolic pathways release energy by breaking down polymers into monomers and rely on enzymes to aid this process.
Step-by-step explanation:
The correct statement that describes catabolic pathways is: c. They release energy as they degrade polymers to monomers.Catabolic pathways are a series of reactions that break down large, complex molecules into smaller ones, releasing energy in the process. This is a crucial part of an organism's metabolism, aiding in the generation of energy necessary for various cellular processes.
Contrary to the statement in option a, catabolic pathways heavily rely on enzymes to catalyze the breakdown of these large molecules. Meanwhile, option b describes anabolic pathways, which indeed consume energy to build up polymers from monomers, essentially the opposite of catabolic pathways. Therefore, option c is the only correct answer provided here, as catabolic pathways involve the degradation of polymers to monomers to release energy.