Synonyms
Physiological cell death; Programmed cell death
Definition
Apoptosis is a form of regulated physiological cell death that is important during ontogenesis and in the maintenance of tissue homeostasis but which may also contribute to pathology.
Current Concepts and State of Knowledge
Characteristics of Apoptosis
Apoptosis may be triggered by signals from within the cell or proximal and distal cells, as well as exogenous agents; apoptotic cell death may also result from the withdrawal of trophic factors (Nerve Growth Factor). All of these triggers initiate a cascade of events that result in the elimination of cells without releasing harmful substances into the surrounding areas. Generally, apoptosis is not associated with an inflammatory response; in intact tissues, apoptotic cells are phagocytosed by macrophages or neighboring epithelial cells, whereas under in vitro conditions (cell culture), the fragments of apoptotic cells that are lysed.
In its original sense, the term...
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Yu, S., Sousa, N., Almeida, O.F.X. (2015). Apoptosis. In: Stolerman, I.P., Price, L.H. (eds) Encyclopedia of Psychopharmacology. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-36172-2_385
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-36172-2_385
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