ABSTRACT
Lethal cell injury (cell death) has two main morphological expressions: necrosis and
apoptosis. Necrosis is the succession of histological changes that occur when a cell has
sustained irreversible damage. The main feature of necrotic change is the progressive
deterioration of the functions of the cell cytoplasm. The cytoplasm contains the
organelles, which are responsible for the metabolic, synthetic, energy-requiring, and
energy-generating functions of the cell. Necrosis is always an accidental cell death that
results from a severe irreversible cell injury, and it elicits a strong inflammation response.
In contrast, apoptosis is a natural way for cell to die-an active, physiological process-
by which an organism eliminates superfluous, damaged, mutated, or aged cells (1). It is
one of the mechanisms of so-called “programmed cell death,” in which a genetic program
is activated that results in the death of an individual cell.
