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. [GOC:cjm, GOC:dhl, GOC:ecd, GOC:go_curators, GOC:mtg_apoptosis, GOC:tb, ISBN:0198506732, PMID:18846107, PMID:21494263]
The part of the cytoplasm that does not contain organelles but which does contain other particulate matter, such as protein complexes. [GOC:hjd, GOC:jl]
A membrane-bounded organelle of eukaryotic cells in which chromosomes are housed and replicated. In most cells, the nucleus contains all of the cell's chromosomes except the organellar chromosomes, and is the site of RNA synthesis and processing. In some species, or in specialized cell types, RNA metabolism or DNA replication may be absent. [GOC:go_curators]