1. Plural of autophagy; cellular processes in which a cell digests its own components, including damaged organelles and proteins, to maintain homeostasis or survive stress.
Usage: biology; medical

Examples

• Researchers study autophagies to understand how cells recycle their own materials.
• During starvation, cells activate autophagies to break down internal structures for energy.
• Defects in autophagies have been linked to neurodegenerative diseases.
• The lab examined different types of autophagies in cancer cells.
• Autophagies play a crucial role in cellular quality control and longevity.