What is the different between apoptosis & necrosis?
1 Answer
Apoptosis is programmed cell death necrosis is not
Explanation:
Apoptosis is intentional. Apoptosis is when cells die by design. They shut down when they get to old, or if they don't operate as they should such as during DNA checks during the cell cycle if too many errors are found, the cell self destructs. They also die to create structures. In plants cells die to create arenchyma, and in humans the fingers and toes are created by the cells in the webbing between the digits dying and disintegrating.
Necrosis is not planned self destruction. Pressure, chemicals, disease and other causes of rupture will destroy the cell. This has no purpose, no planning. Something goes wrong and this is not cell death to stop the damage or to fix something. It's just destruction.
If this helps, apoptosis is like closing a program on purpose. You click an X, you save your work, you close. Necrosis is your computer falling off the table and turning off.
