The charge-discharge cycle in ecology refers to the process through which energy is trapped or stored in the charge stage and then dissipated in the discharge stage, thus forming a complete cycle. Through many of these anabolic and catabolic processes, energy is processed through an ecological network. Anabolism, which is the charge phase, is the incorporation of high-quality energy into biochemical structures, which keeps the system far from thermodynamic equilibrium. Catabolism is the discharge phase corresponding to the deterioration of the structure with the release of accumulated chemical energy and its transformation into work and heat.