Lexic.us

Definition of Apoptosis

1. Noun. 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.

Definition of Apoptosis

1. Noun. (biology cytology) 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. (defdate from 20th c.) ¹

¹ Source: wiktionary.com

Definition of Apoptosis

1. [n -TOSES]

Medical Definition of Apoptosis

1. Programmed cell death as signalled by the nuclei in normally functioning human and animal cells when age or state of cell health and condition dictates. An active process requiring metabolic activity by the dying cell, often characterised by cleavage of the DNA into fragments that give a so called laddering pattern on gels. Cells that die by apoptosis do not usually elicit the inflammatory responses that are associated with necrosis, though the reasons are not clear. Cancerous cells, however, are unable to experience the normal cell transduction or apoptosis-driven natural cell death process. See: ced mutant, bcl. (18 Nov 1997)

Lexicographical Neighbors of Apoptosis

Other Resources: