What is 'apoptosis'?

Programed cell death: The cells of a multicellular organism are members of a highly organized community. The number of cells in this community is tightly regulated—not simply by controlling the rate of cell division, but also by controlling the rate of cell death. If cells are no longer needed, they commit suicide by activating an intracellular death program. This process is therefore called programmed cell death, although it is more commonly called apoptosis (from a Greek word meaning “falling off,” as leaves from a tree).

Cell deletes itself: A cell turns itself into an inert mass that is eliminated, for the good of the rest of the body. Your skin cells that flake off daily are undergoing apoptosis, and many other cells do this in health and disease. Cell self-destruction.