Apoptosis: The Life and Death of Cells (Developmental & Cell Biology)

This book describes the biological implications and significance of apoptosis. Occurring naturally throughout the lifetime of most multicellular organisms, apoptosis, or programmed cell death, accounts for the continuous turnover of cells in the body. However, the genes regulating apoptosis are defective in many cancers.

Apoptosis, or programmed cell death, occurs naturally throughout the lifetime of most multicellular organisms, allowing the continuous turnover of cells in the body. In many cancers the genes regulating apoptosis are defective, producing immortal, continously proliferating cells. This book describes in simple terms the philosophical and technical difficulties in defining the moment of death for a cell, and discusses the biological implications and significance of apoptosis. The book is written for advanced undergraduate and postgraduate students, and is highly illustrated to aid understanding.