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apoptosis |
Also found in: Dictionary/thesaurus, Medical, Wikipedia, Hutchinson | 0.23 sec. |
apoptosisor programmed cell deathMechanism that allows cells to self-destruct when stimulated by the appropriate trigger. It may be initiated when a cell is no longer needed, when a cell becomes a threat to the organism's health, or for other reasons. The aberrant inhibition or initiation of apoptosis contributes to many disease processes, including cancer. Though embryologists had long been familiar with the process of programmed cell death, not until 1972 was the mechanism's broader significance recognized. Apoptosis is distinguished from necrosis, a form of cell death that results from injury. How to thank TFD for its existence? Tell a friend about us, add a link to this page, add the site to iGoogle, or visit webmaster's page for free fun content. |
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| By impairing the development of adaptive immune responses needed for recovery, the apoptotic destruction of lymphocytes and dendritic cells could have a particularly adverse effect on disease outcome. In addition, we used reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction and Western blotting to demonstrate significantly increased levels of the apoptotic effecter caspase-3 in treated animal hearts. In animal models, histologic findings resemble apoptotic cell death rather than necrosis. |
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