Definition: "Programmed cell death" (often abbreviated as PCD) is a biological process where cells deliberately kill themselves. This is a natural way for an organism (like animals and plants) to control how many cells it has, remove damaged or dangerous cells, and maintain health.
In advanced discussions, "programmed cell death" can refer to specific types of cell death, such as: - Apoptosis: A type of programmed cell death that is often described as "cell suicide" and is important for development and maintaining health. - Necroptosis: A form of programmed cell death that can occur in response to certain infections or damage, but is different from apoptosis.
While "programmed cell death" specifically refers to the biological process, the word "programmed" can have other meanings: - Programmed (adj.): Something that is set up or arranged in a specific way to follow a plan. For example, a "programmed schedule" means a schedule that is organized in a particular order.
There are no specific idioms or phrasal verbs directly related to "programmed cell death," but you may encounter phrases like: - "Cut out the dead wood": This idiom means to remove unnecessary or unwanted elements, similar to how programmed cell death removes unhealthy cells.
"Programmed cell death" is an important concept in biology that describes how cells can intentionally destroy themselves for the good of the organism. It helps maintain health by eliminating damaged or dangerous cells.