ScienceSeptember 6, 2026
apoptotic
ay-puh-TOT-ik
Definition
Relating to or involving apoptosis, which is a process of programmed cell death in which a cell actively participates in its own destruction.
Etymology
The word is derived from the Greek 'apoptosis,' meaning 'falling off' or 'dropping off,' which was adopted into biological science in the 1970s to describe the way cells 'fall away' or shed from an organism like leaves from a tree.
In the news
The article uses the term to describe how the garlic-derived compound DATS triggers a specific cellular death pathway, eventually causing the cancer cells to undergo self-destruction.
Garlic compound blocks key signal, triggering gastric cancer cell death
Read the full article ↗Bioengineer.org