ABSTRACT
Programmed cell death was originally described as a cell self-destruction process
that plays a crucial role during the development of metazoans. It is responsible
for the structural reorganization of embryos and for maintaining tissue homeo-
stasis, by eliminating unwanted or damaged cells. The term “apoptosis” was
invented to describe the type of programmed cell death that displays specific
microscopic features such as chromatin condensation, nuclear fragmentation,
and plasma membrane blebbing (1). For a good period of time, the terms
“apoptosis” and “programmed cell death” were used synonymously, until
“autophagic cell death” or “type II programmed cell death” was brought to the
attention of the research community. Accordingly, apoptosis is currently referred
to as “type I programmed cell death” (2,3).
