Canadian Medical Guide > Biological Sciences > Biological Phenomena, Cell Phenomena, and Immunity > Cell Physiology > Cell Death Terms and Definitions




Cell Death

Medical Definition: The termination of the cell's ability to carry out vital functions such as metabolism, growth, reproduction, responsiveness, and adaptability.
Guide Notes: NIM; not for micro-organisms
Previously Indexed: Cell Survival (1971-1991)
Cell Death Categories.
Canadian Medical Guide Definition Apoptosis - One of the two mechanisms by which CELL DEATH occurs (the other being the pathological process of NECROSIS). Apoptosis is the mechanism responsible for the physiological deletion of cells and appears to be intrinsically programmed. It is characterized by distinctive morphologic changes in the nucleus and cytoplasm, chromatin cleavage at regularly spaced sites, and the endonucleolytic cleavage of genomic DNA; (DNA FRAGMENTATION); at internucleosomal sites. This mode of cell death serves as a balance to mitosis in regulating the size of animal tissues and in mediating pathologic processes associated with tumor growth.

Cell Death Medical Definitions and Terms

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