Practice question
Question
Autophagy normally functions as
Explanation
Macroautophagy is a catabolic process in which cytoplasmic material is sequestered in double-membrane autophagosomes that subsequently fuse with lysosomes for degradation. Under nutrient starvation autophagy recycles macromolecules to maintain essential metabolism and is therefore primarily a survival pathway. Only under extreme or prolonged stress does autophagy contribute to cell death.