Apoptosis definition

The term Apoptosis is used to refer to the phenomenon of programmed cell death, is a common biological process in multicellular organisms is carried out in order to maintain or adapt the different structures that make up to be alive. Once fertilized the egg by the sperm, home has the increase in the number of cells of the embryo in training through the processes of cell division, this led him to develop a series of structures that will be shaping progressively to achieve the final form of the new be alive at the time of his birth. Throughout this training, different structures are changing up what many cells that are healthy are disappearing to give way to new ones that are required.
After the birth this process throughout the life course, still intended balance in dimensions and shape of the various structures of a living being, every minute million new cells are formed by what a similar amount must be destroyed. A physiological example of this is the series of changes faced by moms to suspend breastfeeding, interruption in the production of milk makes the breast tissue involucione with what are destroyed the cells that already are not required, in the same way during the menstrual cycle when does fertilization, after ovulation, the lining of the uterus which is not already required for the nesting of the embryo desquamates giving rise to the menstrual flow.
Apoptosis also occurs as a mechanism to eliminate abnormal cells or are altered genetically as it occurs in situations as both drug-induced DNA damage by environmental factors, as well as in the case of cells infected by viruses such as Hepatitis A virus.
This removal process occurs in response to a series of chemical changes that occur in the interior of the cell in response to the presence of a series of proteins called caspases, the interesting thing about this process is that it occurs without damage or there is any kind of disturbance to the neighboring cells.
Once starts the apoptosis process is irreversible, the cell begins to retract and collapse, disintegrates the nucleus leading to fall apart DNA and proteins contained in the same. Once advanced the process system cells immune, as it is the case of macrophages, they are activated so that they come to the site and carry out the phagocytosis, situation in which literally swallow a dead cell without that release their contents which ensures that there is no damage to the surrounding tissue when not activated the mechanisms responsible for the inflammation.