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