English noun: programmed cell death | |||
| 1. | programmed cell death (phenomenon) 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 | ||
| Synonyms | apoptosis, caspase-mediated cell death | ||
| Broader (hypernym) | cell death, necrobiosis | ||