ABSTRACT
Apoptosis seems to be an orderly program. Most of the morphological hallmarks of apoptosis are similar from cell to cell, regardless of the type of cell or the nature of the inducer that triggered the process. In contrast, necrosis is generally thought of as random disintegration of a cell that has been so injured that it cannot recover; it is difficult to define necrosis on a biochemical basis, except to say that eventually the cell becomes unable to operate its ion pumps, or keep its plasma membrane intact and functioning.
