The end of a cells life

Apoptosis

Apoptosis -  from Ancient Greek ἀπόπτωσις, apóptōsis, "falling off"

• controlled cell death
• regulated by membranes
• like an expiry date
• in multicellular organisms
  • not single cell life
    • not bacteria
    • not viruses
    • not yeast
• cellular loss of performance, such as:
  
  • blebbing, abscess
  • cell shrinkage
    • red blood cells
    • after 4 months on the job
    • shrink in size
    • end up collected by spleen
    • based on size
    • emptied into bowels
    • dark color of feces
  • nuclear fragmentation
  • chromatin condensation
  • chromosomal DNA fragmentation
  • global [vague] mRNA decay

How is apoptosis triggered?

1. The membrane keeps a particular amino acid inside
2. When the cell is sick or unable to function properly
3. The membrane transferes the amino acid to the outer surface
4. This signals the big eater 'macrophage' to come and eat the cell
5. apoptosis, "falling off" of life