Autophagy
/ɔːˈtɒfədʒi/noun
A cellular process in which a cell breaks down and recycles its own damaged or unnecessary components.
Did you know?The term was coined by Belgian biochemist Christian de Duve in 1963, and research into autophagy earned Yoshinori Ohsumi the 2016 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*h₁ew- / *bʰag-
“Ancient roots associated with “self” and “to eat””
Ancient Greek
Greek
αὐτός (autós)
“Self; one’s own”
Ancient Greek
Greek
φαγεῖν (phageîn)
“To eat or consume”
Ancient Greek
Greek
αὐτοφαγία (autophagía)
“Self-eating; formed from autós, “self,” and phageîn, “to eat””
1963
Scientific English
autophagy
“Christian de Duve introduced the term for intracellular self-digestion and recycling”
Modern English
English
autophagy
“A regulated cellular process that breaks down and recycles cellular material”
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