The Warburg effect is a term commonly used in the field of cancer research which refers to the metabolic shift that cancer cells undergo to obtain energy. This shift results in increased glucose consumption and glycolysis rates, leading to the accumulation of lactate. Essentially, cancer cells take on a metabolic profile that is similar to embryonic cells, which has been shown to facilitate their growth and proliferation. Some synonyms for the Warburg effect include aerobic glycolysis, glucose addiction, and the Warburg phenotype. Understanding the Warburg effect is an important area of research in cancer biology, as it may lead to the development of new cancer therapies.