Definition, Meaning & Synonyms
autophagia
Noun
/ˌɔːtəˈfeɪdʒə/
Definition
The act of consuming oneself, often referring to the body’s process of breaking down and recycling its own cells.
Examples
- The process of autophagia helps in removing damaged organelles from cells.
- In extreme cases, starvation can lead to autophagia as a survival mechanism.
Meaning
Autophagia is a biological mechanism where cells digest their own components for energy or to maintain cellular health.
Synonyms
- Self-digestion
- Cellular recycling
