|
Apoptosis - Dictionary Definition and Overview |
|
Apoptosis : (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
[syn: programmed cell death, caspase-mediated cell
death]
Based on WordNet 2.0
|
|
Apoptosis : Apoptosis: A form of cell death in which a programmed sequence of events leads to the elimination of cells without releasing harmful substances into the surrounding area. Apoptosis plays a
crucial role in developing and maintaining health by eliminating old cells, unnecessary cells, and unhealthy cells. The human body replaces perhaps a million cells a second. Too little or too much
apoptosis plays a role in a great many diseases. When programmed cell death does not work right, cells that should be eliminated may hang around and become immortal. For example, in cancer and
programmed cell death or cell suicide. Strictly speaking, the term apoptosis refers only to the structural changes cells go through, and programmed cell death refers to the complete underlying
process, but the terms are often used interchangeably.
Based on WordNet (r) 2.0 (August 2003)
|
|
|
|
|
