The major inducible pathway for the general turnover of cytoplasmic constituents in eukaryotic cells, it is also responsible for the degradation of active cytoplasmic enzymes and organelles during nutrient starvation. Macroautophagy involves the formation of double-membrane-bounded autophagosomes which enclose the cytoplasmic constituent targeted for degradation in a membrane-bounded structure, which then fuse with the lysosome (or vacuole) releasing a single-membrane-bounded autophagic bodies which are then degraded within the lysosome (or vacuole). Though once thought to be a purely non-selective process, it appears that some types of macroautophagy, e.g. macropexophagy, macromitophagy, may involve selective targeting of the targets to be degraded. (Gene Ontology, GO_0016236)
