1. A form of programmed cell death in which a cell actively participates in its own destruction, characterized by cell shrinkage, membrane blebbing, and fragmentation into membrane-bound particles.
Usage: technical; biology; medicine

Examples

• Apoptosis is essential for removing damaged cells and maintaining tissue homeostasis.
• Cancer cells often evade apoptosis, allowing them to survive and multiply uncontrollably.
• During development, apoptosis helps shape organs by eliminating excess cells.
• Researchers study apoptosis to understand how to trigger cell death in tumor cells.
• The immune system uses apoptosis to eliminate infected or abnormal cells.
• Defects in apoptosis pathways can lead to both cancer and neurodegenerative diseases.