Apoptosis is one of the main forms of programmed cell death. This description may sound scary, but in many cases apoptosis can be seen as a positive process. In fact, the human body uses the process of apoptosis throughout its development.
Do you know how fingers are formed? Apoptosis, where the cells between the future fingers die apoptotically. Also, variously damaged cells die apoptotically by their own choice or by the immune system.
In this article, we describe the difference between apoptosis, which is an important biological phenomenon, and necrosis.
Apoptosis comes from the Greek word apoptosis, which means falling. It is a programmed cell death. The process of apoptosis serves to remove unnecessary or damaged cells and can be caused, for example, by injury.
Thanks to new research findings, scientists have noticed that cell death is part of the normal development of animal embryos. Thus, apoptosis is a part of life that regulates the type and number of cells during and after development.
In necrosis, cells die as a result of some damage and usually increase in volume. This is passive cell death.
In contrast, they shrink during apoptosis. During apoptosis, the dead cell debris is absorbed by the surrounding cells and no damage to the surrounding tissue occurs.
The fact that "natural" cell death is an active process controlled by the cell itself has been neglected for many years. It was not until the 1970s that the investigation of cell death based on morphological features began.
An important function of programmed cell death is to provide a balance between cell death and cell division, as cells eventually wear out or stop functioning properly. This balance ensures that internal homeostasis is maintained, allowing each living organism to keep its internal environment within its norms.
Another important function of apoptosis is the destruction of damaged cells infected by a virus or if they are insufficiently nourished.
Apoptosis is also often used in injection or freeze lipolysis, where programmed cell death of fat cells occurs. These cells are expelled through the lymphatic system, resulting in weight loss in the treated area.
The process of apoptosis is triggered either externally or internally. The internal pathway is associated with mitochondrial damage, in which the cell actually gives up the idea of saving itself. Mitochondria take care of the necessary biochemical functioning and the progress of cellular respiration.
Apoptosis is divided into three phases: it starts with cell damage, stress or a change in hormone levels, followed by regulatory genes that trigger repair mechanisms or caspase proteases, and the last phase is cell death.
Mitochondria provide the energy metabolism of the cell, but when damaged they lose their potential and the membrane becomes permeable. This initiates the first stage of the apoptotic process, followed by other irreversible parts, at the end of which the cell dies.
The external pathway begins with stimulation of specific receptors on the cell. This pathway is triggered when cells are attacked by a viral infection.
Life expectancy is affected by the ability to renew old and damaged cells. Research has changed the view of the role of mitochondria, which were thought to be organelles without which life would hardly be possible. Further research has revealed that mitochondria are actively involved in cell death.
Many scientists have tried to influence apoptosis with the help of drugs. The idea that controlled apoptosis will maintain the number of functional cells at the level of young age looks interesting, but unfortunately it has not yet been achieved.
Some drugs used in cancer treatment have some potential to prevent tumour growth. However, this research is only at the beginning and still has many trials to go.
We don't have to worry about apoptosis at all, it's a natural part of the individual. If a cell's DNA is damaged and cannot be repaired, it will undergo self-destruction.
It turns out that in the realm of multicellular organisms, death is absolutely necessary for life.
Apoptosis plays a key role in the development of the organism as it removes old, unnecessary and unhealthy cells. Research into cell death has yielded many discoveries and more are surely on the way...
