PMID: 8990145
Issn Print: 0147-5185
Publication Date: 1997/01/01
Margaret C. Cummings; Clay M. Winterford; Neal I. Walker
Excerpt
Over the past three decades, two fundamentally different forms of cell death, apoptosis and necrosis, have been defined in terms of morphology, biochemistry, and incidence. Apoptosis is a genetically determined, biologically meaningful, active process that plays a role opposite that of mitosis in tissue size regulation. Apoptosis shapes organs during mammalian morphogenesis and removes cells that are immunologically reactive against self, infected or genetically damaged, whose continued existence pose a danger to the host. Necrosis, in contrast, is an accidental passive process resulting in progressive breakdown of ordered cell structure and function after irreversible damage caused by major environmental change, such as sudden severe ischemia, extremes of temperature, and mechanical trauma. Fig. 17
Here we give an account of the discovery, morphology, biochemistry, identification, and incidence of apoptosis. Detailed information on necrosis is available elsewhere (50,106,113,123,128), and it will not be discussed further.
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