1.As the algae dies, it sinks to the bottom of the river where it breaks down or decomposes.
break down 分解;发生故障;失败;毁掉;制服
Talks with business leaders broke down last night.
与商界领导人的谈判于昨晚失败了 。
Over time, the protein in the eggshell breaks down into its constituent amino acids.
随着时间的推移,蛋壳中的蛋白质分解成其构成成分氨基酸 。