Autophagy assessment

Autophagy (or autophagocytosis) is the natural, regulated mechanism of the cell that removes unnecessary or dysfunctional components. It allows the orderly degradation and recycling of cellular components. In disease, autophagy has been seen as an adaptive response to stress, promoting survival of the cell; but in other cases it appears to promote cell death and morbidity. In the extreme case of starvation, the breakdown of cellular components promotes cellular survival by maintaining cellular energy levels.