Lecture 10: Apoptosis & Necrosis

A series of vocabulary flashcards related to key concepts discussed in the lecture on apoptosis and necrosis.

Apoptosis

Programmed cell death that is carefully coordinated and involves a series of biochemical events leading to cellular dismantling.

Necrosis

Unregulated, accidental cell death caused by nonspecific stress or injury, resulting in cellular swelling and lysis.

Caspases

A family of cysteine proteases that play essential roles in apoptosis and inflammation, activated through a proteolytic cleavage process.

Phagocytosis

The process by which cells, such as macrophages, engulf and digest cellular debris or apoptotic cells.

Intrinsic Pathway

A pathway of apoptosis activated by internal stress signals, leading to mitochondrial membrane permeabilization.

Extrinsic Pathway

A pathway of apoptosis initiated by external signals, specifically through the ligation of death receptors.

Autophagy

A degradation mechanism where damaged organelles and proteins are degraded, often occurring prior to apoptosis.

Bcl-2

An anti-apoptotic protein that functions to suppress the apoptotic pathway and regulate mitochondrial membrane permeability.

p53

A tumor suppressor protein that can induce apoptosis in response to cellular stress or DNA damage.

Phosphatidylserine (PS)

A phospholipid that is normally located on the inner leaflet of the cell membrane but becomes exposed on the outer leaflet during apoptosis.

Cell Viability

A measure of the proportion of live cells in a population, often assessed to evaluate the health of cells.

Cytotoxicity

The quality of being toxic to cells, often referring to mechanisms that lead to cell death.

Mitochondrial Membrane Permeabilization (MOMP)

A critical event in apoptosis where the outer mitochondrial membrane becomes permeable, leading to the release of pro-apoptotic factors.

DNA Fragmentation

A hallmark of late-stage apoptosis characterized by the cleavage of DNA into smaller pieces.

Annexin V

A protein that binds to phosphatidylserine, commonly used as a marker for detecting apoptosis in cells.

Karyorrhexis

The fragmentation of the nucleus, commonly observed as part of the apoptotic process.

Caspase-3

An effector caspase that plays a key role in the execution phase of apoptosis by cleaving various cellular substrates.

Cellular Senescence

A state where cells lose the ability to divide and grow, often associated with aging and cellular damage.

Phagocytic Cells

Cells responsible for engulfing and digesting cellular debris, including apoptotic cells.

Cell Density

The number of cells per unit volume, crucial for maintaining cell viability and productivity in culture.

Serine Protease

Enzymes that cleave peptide bonds in proteins; include caspases involved in the apoptotic process.