autophagia

[ aw-tuh-fey-juh, -jee-uh ]

nounPhysiology.
  1. controlled digestion of damaged organelles within a cell.

  2. the maintenance of bodily nutrition by the metabolic breakdown of some bodily tissues.

Origin of autophagia

1
  • Also au·toph·a·gy [aw-tof-uh-jee]. /ɔˈtɒf ə dʒi/.

Other words from autophagia

  • au·to·phag·ic [aw-tuh-faj-ik], /ˌɔ təˈfædʒ ɪk/, adjective

Words Nearby autophagia

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023