autophagy
Type: process Aliases: cellular cleanup macroautophagy
Systems Analogy
A municipal recycling fleet that sweeps through city streets, collecting worn-out vehicles, breaking them down, and repurposing their metal for new builds.
An evolutionary conserved lysosomal degradation pathway that recycles damaged organelles, misfolded proteins, and intracellular pathogens to maintain cellular quality control.
Mentioned In
Scientific Sources & Verbatim Definitions
- Empirical StudyKlionsky DJ, et al. Guidelines for the use and interpretation of assays for monitoring autophagy. Autophagy. 2021;17(1):1-382. ↗
"Autophagy is the lysosomal-dependent clearing of cytoplasmic components to sustain viability."