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Related Concept Videos

Overview of Cell Death01:30

Overview of Cell Death

Cell death is an essential process where the body gets rid of old or damaged cells. Cell proliferation and death need to be balanced, as an imbalance between the two may lead to cancer or autoimmune diseases.
Cell death was observed in the early 19th century, but there was no experimental evidence to prove it. In 1842, Carl Vogt first discovered cell death in a metamorphic toad; however, it was not termed ‘cell death.’ Scientists discovered different cell death pathways only in the 20th century...
Cellular Injury V: Apoptosis and Autophagy01:22

Cellular Injury V: Apoptosis and Autophagy

Cells respond to damage and stress through highly coordinated processes that decide whether they survive or undergo controlled self-destruction. Two major pathways involved in this regulation are apoptosis, a type of programmed cell death, and autophagy, a survival mechanism that helps cells adapt to adverse conditions.ApoptosisApoptosis removes aged or injured cells to maintain tissue balance. During this process, the cell shrinks, chromatin condenses and fragments, and membrane-bound...
Cellular Injury IlI: Cellular Death01:11

Cellular Injury IlI: Cellular Death

Cell death is the irreversible loss of cellular structure and function, representing the final stage of severe injury. It plays a key role in both normal physiology and disease.Types of Cell DeathThe two main types are necrosis and apoptosis, though others like necroptosis and pyroptosis also exist.Necrosis:Necrosis is an unregulated form of cell death caused by severe injury such as trauma, toxins, or ischemia. It is characterized by cell swelling, membrane loss, rupture, and leakage of...
Apoptosis01:30

Apoptosis

Apoptosis is a combination of two Greek words, 'apo' and 'ptosis,' meaning separation and falling off, respectively. Hippocrates used this word to describe gangrene, which was caused due to bandaging of fractured bones. Apoptosis was distinguished from necrosis in 1970 when John Kerr reported observations of morphological changes occurring during apoptosis. During one experiment, he observed that the disruption of blood supply to the liver tissue resulted in a size reduction of the tissue.
Autophagic Cell Death01:18

Autophagic Cell Death

Christian de Duve discovered “autophagy,” a process in which cellular components are engulfed by membrane-bound organelles called autophagosomes. The autophagosomes then fuse with lysosomes to digest the enclosed contents. Autophagy is generally activated in cells to prevent cell death. However, cell death is triggered when the damage is beyond repair.
Autophagy and Apoptosis
Autophagy can activate apoptosis. In normal conditions, the autophagy activating protein Beclin-1 and pro-apoptotic...
Necrosis01:16

Necrosis

Necrosis is considered as an “accidental” or unexpected form of cell death that ends in cell lysis. The first noticeable mention of “necrosis” was in 1859 when Rudolf Virchow used this term to describe advanced tissue breakdown in his compilation titled “Cell Pathology”.
Morphological Manifestations of Necrosis
Necrotic cells show different types of morphological appearance depending on the type of tissue and infection. In coagulative necrosis, cells become anucleated and die, but their...

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Updated: Jul 5, 2026

Use of LysoTracker to Detect Programmed Cell Death in Embryos and Differentiating Embryonic Stem Cells
12:44

Use of LysoTracker to Detect Programmed Cell Death in Embryos and Differentiating Embryonic Stem Cells

Published on: October 11, 2012

Cell death: history and future.

Zahra Zakeri1, Richard A Lockshin

  • 1Department of Biology, Queens College and the Graduate Center of the City University of New York, 65-30 Kissena Blvd., Flushing, New York 11361, USA. zahra_zakeri@hotmail.com

Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology
|April 29, 2008
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Cell death, particularly apoptosis, is a biologically controlled process. While much is known about its execution, understanding the commitment to die and alternative death pathways remains a key research area.

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Area of Science:

  • Cell Biology
  • Genetics
  • Evolutionary Biology

Background:

  • Cell death has been observed since the 19th century, with experimental investigations beginning in the mid-20th century.
  • The concept of programmed cell death, characterized by apoptosis, emerged in the 1960s.
  • Significant advancements in understanding the genetic basis and molecular components of programmed cell death occurred by 1990.

Observation:

  • Early research identified apoptosis as a common, yet poorly explained, morphological characteristic of programmed cell death.
  • Key components of the cell death machinery, including caspase 3, bcl-2, and Fas, were identified and sequenced.
  • These components were recognized for their high degree of evolutionary conservation.

Findings:

  • The field has achieved substantial understanding of the mechanisms by which cell death is executed.
  • It is now understood that multiple pathways can lead to cell death.
  • The commitment to die is distinct from the execution of cell death.

Implications:

  • Cells blocked from apoptosis after commitment can die via alternative routes.
  • Further research is needed to elucidate the mechanisms of cell commitment to death.
  • Understanding the factors influencing the choice of death pathway is crucial for future studies.