Biological process

engulfment of apoptotic cell corpse, engulfment of cell corpse

The removal of the apoptotic cell by phagocytosis, by a neighboring cell or by a phagocyte.

This term should be used to annotate gene products from the engulfing cell that facilitate phagocytosis of apoptotic cells. It should not be mistaken with GO:0070782 'phosphatidylserine exposure on apoptotic cell surface', a process occurring in apoptotic cells that acts as a signal for engulfing cells. If gene products involved in such instances of phosphatidylserine exposure are shown to have a positive effect on engulfment, they may be annotated to GO:1901076 'positive regulation of engulfment of apoptotic cell'.