only in taxon only_in_taxon in taxon starts with starts with ends with ends with apoptotic process GO:0006915 apoptotic cell death programmed cell death by apoptosis biological_process Wikipedia:Apoptosis apoptotic programmed cell death A programmed cell death process which begins when a cell receives an internal (e.g. DNA damage) or external signal (e.g. an extracellular death ligand), and proceeds through a series of biochemical events (signaling pathway phase) which trigger an execution phase. The execution phase is the last step of an apoptotic process, and is typically characterized by rounding-up of the cell, retraction of pseudopodes, reduction of cellular volume (pyknosis), chromatin condensation, nuclear fragmentation (karyorrhexis), plasma membrane blebbing and fragmentation of the cell into apoptotic bodies. When the execution phase is completed, the cell has died. programmed cell death apoptotic signaling pathway execution phase of apoptosis Bacteria Opisthokonta Schizosaccharomyces pombe