Difference Between Apoptosis And Necrosis

The basic difference between Apoptosis and Necrosis is that the former process is preplanned and the later is an unplanned and uncontrolled process. The main difference between Apoptosis and Necrosis is that apoptosis is a predefined suicide of cell’s where the cell destroys itself maintaining the smooth functioning of the body and necrosis is a kind of cell death where the cell dies due to some uncontrolled external factors. Let us now understand more about the difference between Apoptosis and Necrosis by studying in detail.

What is Apoptosis?

Apoptosis is a pre-programmed cell death process that occurs in multicellular organisms. Many biochemical events occur which leads to characteristic cell changes and death.

What is Necrosis?

Necrosis is a type of cell injury that results due to the premature death of cells in living tissue by autolysis. External factors such as infection, or trauma which result in the unregulated digestion of cell components are its causes.

Difference Between Apoptosis And Necrosis

The important difference between Apoptosis and Necrosis

Parameter	Apoptosis	Necrosis
Meaning	Cell death is preprogrammed generally and starts by normal, healthy processes in the body.	Premature and unprogrammed cell death process.
Cause	Natural	Caused due to external factors on the cell or tissue, such as infection, toxins, or trauma.
Effects	Usually beneficial.	Always detrimental.
Symptoms	No noticeable symptoms.	Decreasing blood flow at the affected site, inflammation, tissue death, etc.
Medical Treatment	Very rarely needs treatment.	Always requires medical treatment.

Apoptosis

Apoptosis is a highly regulated and controlled process that confers advantages during an organism’s life cycle. It begins when the nucleus of the cell begins to shrink. After the shrinking, the plasma membrane blebs and folds around different organelles. The blebs continue to form and the organelles fragment and move away from one another.

Apoptosis initiates through one of two pathways:

1. Intrinsic pathway
2. Extrinsic pathway

Necrosis

Necrosis is the death of body tissue. It occurs when very less blood flows to the tissue. This can be from injury, radiation, or chemicals. Necrosis cannot be reversed. Necrosis may follow a wide variety of injuries, both physical and biological in nature. Examples of physical injuries include cuts, burns, bruises, and hyperthermia. Biological injuries can include immunological attack and the effects of disease-causing agents.

FAQs about Apoptosis And Necrosis:

Q.1. When would a cell undergo apoptosis?

Ans- When cells that are no longer needed or are a threat to the system are destroyed by a tightly regulated cell suicide process, it is apoptosis.

Q.2. What happens if necrotic tissue is not removed?

Ans- Wounds that have necrotic tissue present will not heal. The bacterial bioburden of the wound will reduce once the necrotic tissue is removed leading to healthy tissue to grow in its place.