ABSTRACT
Apoptosis (from the Greek meaning “fall of the leaves”) is a phenomenon which occurs at any site in the body where cells are dividing. Apoptosis is a physiological energy requiring mechanism of cell death which is accomplished by a specialized cellular machinery. Apoptosis is under genetic control and may be initiated by an internal clock; therefore it has also been called “programmed cell death” or “cell suicide.” Programmed cell death occurs during normal cellular differentiation and development of multicellular organisms and is involved in maintenance of tissue homeostasis, protection against pathogens, and ageing. The amount of programmed cell death is enormous. Millions of cells, most of them perfectly healthy, die in this way every minute in an adult human being. Inappropriate induction or regulation of apoptosis has severe implications for the organism and can lead to various chronic
and sometimes deadly pathologies including (auto-)immune diseases, neurological disorders, and cancer.
