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Overview of Cell Death

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...

Necrosis

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...

Apoptosis

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.

The Extrinsic Apoptotic Pathway

The Extrinsic Apoptotic Pathway

The extrinsic apoptotic pathway is initiated when extracellular death-inducing signals, such as specific cytokines, activate the death receptors expressed on the cell surface. The immune cells involved in this pathway are natural killer cells (NK cells) and cytotoxic T-lymphocytes. NK cells are critical in innate immune response, while cytotoxic T-lymphocytes are associated with adaptive immune response. These cells recognize specific receptors expressed on the altered cells and activate...

Cellular Injury V: Apoptosis and Autophagy

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...

The Intrinsic Apoptotic Pathway

The Intrinsic Apoptotic Pathway

Internal cellular stress, such as cellular injury or hypoxia, triggers intrinsic apoptosis. The B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2) family of proteins are the primary regulators of the intrinsic apoptotic pathway. For example, during DNA damage, checkpoint proteins, such as Ataxia Telangiectasia Mutated (ATM protein) and Checkpoints Factor-2 (Chk2) proteins, are activated. These proteins phosphorylate p53 which further activates pro-apoptotic proteins, such as Bax, Bak, PUMA, and Noxa, and inhibits...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 3, 2026

LPS and ATP-induced Death of PMA-differentiated THP-1 Macrophages and its Validation

LPS and ATP-induced Death of PMA-differentiated THP-1 Macrophages and its Validation

Published on: May 3, 2024

Nucleases in programmed cell death.

Kohki Kawane¹, Shigekazu Nagata

¹Department of Medical Chemistry, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Yoshida, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, Japan.

Methods in Enzymology

|July 30, 2008

Summary

Programmed cell death involves DNA degradation by caspase-activated DNase (CAD) and DNase II. Assays are described to study these enzymes and apoptotic cell engulfment by macrophages.

Area of Science:

Molecular Biology
Cell Biology
Biochemistry

Background:

DNA degradation is a key feature of apoptosis.
Apoptotic DNA fragmentation occurs via two distinct mechanisms.
Caspase-activated DNase (CAD) and DNase II are the primary enzymes involved.

Purpose of the Study:

To describe assay procedures for studying CAD and DNase II.
To provide methods for quantifying DNase activity.
To outline cell culture systems for analyzing DNA degradation during apoptosis and phagocytosis.

Main Methods:

Biochemical assays for quantifying DNase activity.
Cell culture techniques to monitor DNA degradation.
Observing cell-autonomous and non-cell-autonomous degradation processes.

More Related Videos

Strategies for Tracking Anastasis, A Cell Survival Phenomenon that Reverses Apoptosis

Strategies for Tracking Anastasis, A Cell Survival Phenomenon that Reverses Apoptosis

Published on: February 16, 2015

Evaluation of Caspase Activation to Assess Innate Immune Cell Death

Evaluation of Caspase Activation to Assess Innate Immune Cell Death

Published on: January 20, 2023

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jul 3, 2026

LPS and ATP-induced Death of PMA-differentiated THP-1 Macrophages and its Validation

LPS and ATP-induced Death of PMA-differentiated THP-1 Macrophages and its Validation

Published on: May 3, 2024

Strategies for Tracking Anastasis, A Cell Survival Phenomenon that Reverses Apoptosis

Strategies for Tracking Anastasis, A Cell Survival Phenomenon that Reverses Apoptosis

Published on: February 16, 2015

Evaluation of Caspase Activation to Assess Innate Immune Cell Death

Evaluation of Caspase Activation to Assess Innate Immune Cell Death

Published on: January 20, 2023

Main Results:

Established protocols for assaying CAD and DNase II activity.
Demonstrated methods to track DNA fragmentation in dying cells.
Provided a framework for studying DNA degradation post-engulfment by macrophages.

Conclusions:

CAD and DNase II mediate distinct stages of DNA degradation in apoptosis.
The described techniques facilitate research into programmed cell death pathways.
These methods aid in understanding the role of DNases and phagocytosis in clearing apoptotic cells.