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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.

Fixation and Sectioning

Fixation and Sectioning

Two basic types of preparation are used to visualize specimens with a light microscope: wet mounts and fixed specimens.
The simplest type of preparation is the wet mount, in which the specimen is placed in a drop of liquid on the slide. A liquid specimen can be directly deposited on the slide using a dropper. Solid specimens, such as skin scraping, can be placed on the slide before adding a drop of liquid to prepare the wet mount. Sometimes the liquid is simply water, but stains are often added...

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...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 3, 2026

Mechanism of Regulation of Adipocyte Numbers in Adult Organisms Through Differentiation and Apoptosis Homeostasis

Mechanism of Regulation of Adipocyte Numbers in Adult Organisms Through Differentiation and Apoptosis Homeostasis

Published on: June 3, 2016

Analysis of apoptosis in tissue sections.

V Save¹, P J Coates, P A Hall

¹Department of Molecular and Cellular Pathology, University of Dundee, Dundee, UK.

Methods in Molecular Medicine

|March 5, 2011

Summary

Apoptosis, programmed cell death, is crucial for controlling cell numbers in health and disease. Morphological analysis remains the gold standard for assessing apoptosis, even with mechanistic advances.

Area of Science:

Cell Biology
Pathology

Background:

Apoptosis is recognized as a key regulator of cell number in physiological and pathological contexts.
Chemotherapy and radiotherapy effects are increasingly understood to be mediated by apoptosis.
Seminal work by Kerr, Wyllie, and Currie provides essential morphological documentation of apoptosis.

Purpose of the Study:

To highlight the importance of morphological analysis in apoptosis assessment.
To underscore the role of apoptosis in cell number regulation.
To emphasize the significance of apoptosis in therapeutic outcomes.

Main Methods:

Review of existing literature on apoptosis.
Emphasis on morphological features of apoptosis.
Reference to seminal works for detailed documentation.

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Analysis of Apoptosis in Zebrafish Embryos by Whole-mount Immunofluorescence to Detect Activated Caspase 3

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Mechanism of Regulation of Adipocyte Numbers in Adult Organisms Through Differentiation and Apoptosis Homeostasis

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Analysis of Apoptosis in Zebrafish Embryos by Whole-mount Immunofluorescence to Detect Activated Caspase 3

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Main Results:

Morphological analysis is the "gold standard" for apoptosis assessment and quantitation.
Apoptosis plays a critical role in physiological and pathological cell number control.
Therapeutic agents often exert their effects through the induction of apoptosis.

Conclusions:

Despite mechanistic understanding, morphological assessment remains paramount for evaluating apoptosis.
Apoptosis is fundamental to understanding both normal biological processes and disease states.
The study of apoptosis is critical for advancing cancer therapies.