The chemical reactions and pathways resulting in the breakdown of L-cysteine, the L-enantiomer of 2-amino-3-mercaptopropanoic acid, i.e. (2R)-2-amino-3-mercaptopropanoic acid. [ GOC:mah GOC:jsg ]
Synonyms: L-cysteine catabolism L-cysteine degradation L-cysteine breakdown