ABSTRACT
Naturally occurring cell death was first recognized toward the middle of the 19th
century, shortly after the establishment of the cell theory by Schleiden and
Schwann (1). In 1842, the German scientist Carl Vogt produced a monograph
wherein he clearly describes the disappearance or destruction of embryonal cells
preceding the formation or change of determinate structures during the devel-
opment of the midwife toad (2). Significant investigation on this topic was
carried out throughout the second half of the 19th century.
