ISSN: 2044-9038 (Print) 2044-9046 (Electronic)

Clinical Practice

Apoptosis Impact Factor

Apoptosis, is relatively civil, even though it may not sound so at first -- it's when a cell commits suicide. How is that better than necrosis? For one thing, the cleanup is much easier. It's sometimes referred to as programmed cell death, and indeed, the process of apoptosis follows a controlled predictable routine. When a cell is compelled to commit suicide (we'll get to the triggers for apoptosis in just a minute), proteins called caspases go into action. They break down the cellular components needed for survival, and they spur production of enzymes known as DNases, which destroy the DNA in the nucleus of the cell. It's like roadies breaking down the stage in an arena after a major band has been through town. The cell shrinks and sends out distress signals, which are answered by vacuum cleaners known as macrophages. The macrophages clean away the shrunken cells, leaving no trace, so these cells have no chance to cause the damage that necrotic cells do. Apoptosis also differs from necrosis in that it's essential to human development. For example, in the womb, our fingers and toes are connected to one another by a sort of webbing. Apoptosis is what causes that webbing to disappear, leaving us with 10 separate digits.     

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