autophagia

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

controlled digestion of damaged organelles within a cell.

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

Also au·toph·a·gy

[aw-tof-uh-jee] /ɔˈtɒf ə dʒi/.

Origin of autophagia

Related formsau·to·phag·ic

[aw-tuh-faj-ik] /ˌɔ təˈfædʒ ɪk/, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

autophagy in Medicine

[ô′tə-fā′jə]

The biting of one's own flesh.

or au•toph•a•gy (ô-tŏf′ə-jē) The segregation and disposal of damaged organelles within a cell.

or autophagy The maintenance of the nutrition of the whole body by metabolic consumption of some of the body tissues.

Related formsau′to•phag′ic (-făj′ĭk) adj.