Kalmar "caspase" tana nufin wani nau'in enzyme wanda ke taka muhimmiyar rawa a cikin tsarin mutuwar kwayar halitta, ko apoptosis. Caspases proteases ne waɗanda ke datse sunadaran sunadaran a takamaiman rukunin yanar gizo kuma suna da hannu a cikin matakai daban-daban na salon salula, gami da haɓaka amfrayo, tsarin tsarin rigakafi, da cire ƙwayoyin da suka lalace ko masu kamuwa da cuta. Akwai manyan nau'ikan caspases guda biyu: initiator caspases, waɗanda ake kunna su ta hanyar siginar da ke haifar da apoptosis, da caspases na zartarwa, waɗanda masu farawa caspases ke kunna su kuma suna aiwatar da tsarin mutuwar tantanin halitta.