Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun A natural process of self-destruction by degradative enzymes in certain cells, such as epithelial cells and erythrocytes, that are genetically programmed to have a limited lifespan or are damaged, as by irradiation or toxic drugs.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • 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

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Ancient Greek ἀπόπτωσις (apoptōsis, "a falling off"), from ἀπό (apo, "away from") + πτῶσις (ptōsis, "falling").

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Examples

  • She thought of how the word apoptosis meaning “cell death,” came from the Greek word for “falling leaves.”

    The Life You Longed For Maribeth Fischer 2007

  • She thought of how the word apoptosis meaning “cell death,” came from the Greek word for “falling leaves.”

    The Life You Longed For Maribeth Fischer 2007

  • She thought of how the word apoptosis meaning “cell death,” came from the Greek word for “falling leaves.”

    The Life You Longed For Maribeth Fischer 2007

  • She thought of how the word apoptosis meaning “cell death,” came from the Greek word for “falling leaves.”

    The Life You Longed For Maribeth Fischer 2007

  • The process of cells dying is a highly controlled one that is called apoptosis, which is a Greek word that means “petals dropping off a plant.”

    Chicken Soup for the Soul: The Cancer Book Jack Canfield 2009

  • The process of cells dying is a highly controlled one that is called apoptosis, which is a Greek word that means “petals dropping off a plant.”

    Chicken Soup for the Soul: The Cancer Book Jack Canfield 2009

  • So, when a telomere gets short, that's when either senescence or apoptosis is triggered.

    Carol W. Greider - Interview 2009

  • In neurons this is called apoptosis; in humans it is called depression, grief, and suicide.

    The Chemistry of Calm M.D. Henry Emmons 2010

  • When they exposed cancer cells to these phytonutrients, the cells self-destructed technically, such self-destruction is called apoptosis.

    The Fiber35 Diet Brenda Watson with Leonard Smith 2007

  • When they exposed cancer cells to these phytonutrients, the cells self-destructed technically, such self-destruction is called apoptosis.

    The Fiber35 Diet Brenda Watson with Leonard Smith 2007

  • Cheng wanted to see how the signal responsible for this cellular suicide (apoptosis) spreads within a cell, and to do so, he needed cytoplasm.

    Unscrambled Eggs: Self-Organization Restores Cells’ Order | Quanta Magazine Wynne Parry 2020

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