APOPTOSIS: PATHWAYS OF PROGRAMMED CELL DEATH A REVIEW

Apoptosis, programmed cell death, is an energy-dependent biochemical process which alters the cellular morphology that leads to death of cell.Apoptosis plays a major role in various cellular processes like proper functioning and development of the immune system, normal cellular turnover, hormone-induced atrophy, embryonic stage of development and chemicaltriggered cell death.Disproportionate apoptosis either more or less is a major factor for illness in many human beings including autoimmune diseases, neurodegenerative disorders, ischemic damage, and different types of cancer.The potential to stabilize the life or death of a cell is an index for its intense therapeutic property.Therefore, various signaling pathways and cell cycle machinery are the research area to focus on the control of cell cycle arrest and apoptosis.The research in the field of apoptosis moving forward at very rapid rate.Presently many key proteins are identified which are responsible for apoptosis but the mechanisms of action of these proteins are still to be elucidated.The aim of this review is to provide current knowledge in the field of apoptosis which includes the role of apoptosis in relation to health and various disease states, detection methods, and a potential alternative forms of apoptosis.