| Term: | thymus apoptotic process |
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| Note: | This page represents a term created by the combination ("post-composition") of two ontology terms. For more information on the individual terms, click the hyperlinked name. |
| Name: | thymus |
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| Synonyms: | |
| Definition: | Paired organ where maturation of T-lymphocytes occurs. The adult thymus located on the dorsomedial aspect of the branchial cavity above the third pharyngeal cartilage. The thymus undergoes a period of rapid growth beginning at about the third week and continuing for several more weeks. Accompanying this growth is a dramatic change in the shape of the thymus. It is ovoid initially and then starts to grow dorsally along the skull, forming a characteristic protrusion. During this growth period the adult pattern of rag1-positive cortex and rag1-negative medulla becomes established. The protrusions diminish with age and the thymus gradually shrinks; at two years, the thymus is again confined to the pharynx with minimal if any protrusion. |
| Ontology: | Anatomy Ontology [ZFA:0001078] |
| Name: | apoptotic process |
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| Synonyms: | apoptosis, apoptosis activator activity, apoptosis signaling, apoptotic cell death, apoptotic program, apoptotic programmed cell death, caspase-dependent programmed cell death, cell suicide, cellular suicide, commitment to apoptosis, induction of apoptosis, induction of apoptosis by p53, programmed cell death by apoptosis, signaling (initiator) caspase activity, type I programmed cell death |
| Definition: | 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. |
| Ontology: | GO: Biological Process [GO:0006915] QuickGO AmiGO |