Apoptosis
WordNet
noun
(1) A type of cell death in which the cell uses specialized cellular machinery to kill itself; a cell suicide mechanism that enables metazoans to control cell number and eliminate cells that threaten the animal's survival
WiktionaryText
Etymology
Coined in 1972 by John F. Kerr et al. in their article "Apoptosis: a basic biological phenomenon with wide-ranging implications in tissue kinetics" published in volume 26 of the British Journal of Cancer. Derived from the term .
Noun
- A process of programmed cell death by which cells undergo an ordered sequence of events which lead to death of the cell, as occurs during growth and development of the organism, as a part of normal cell aging, or as a response to cellular injury.
- Cells may undergo apoptosis if they have sustained unrepairable damage.