History and Highlights in Apoptosis Research - Coining of The Term apoptosis

Coining of The Term apoptosis

In a signal article published in 1972, John F. Kerr, Andrew H. Wyllie and A. R. Currie, coined the term "apoptosis" in order to differentiate naturally occurring developmental cell death, from the necrosis that results from acute tissue injury. They adopted the Greek word for the process of leaves falling from trees or petals falling from flowers. The word apoptosis is a combination of the prefix 'apo' and the root 'ptosis'. Apo means away, off or apart. Ptosis means to fall. Based on the origin of the word it makes sense that it should be pronounced "APE oh TOE sis". The pronunciation "a POP tuh sis" although it is commonly used ignores the origin of the word.

They also noted that the characteristic structural changes of apoptosis were present in cells that died in order to maintain an equilibrium between cell proliferation and death in a particular tissue.