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In biology, apoptosis (from the Greek words apo = from and ptosis = falling, commonly pronounced ap-a-tow'-sis*) is one of the main types of programmed cell death (PCD). As such, it is a process of deliberate life relinquishment by an unwanted cell in a multicellular organism. In contrast to necrosis, which is a form of cell death that results from acute cellular injury, apoptosis is carried out in an ordered process that generally confers advantages during an organism's life cycle. For example, the differentiation of human fingers in a developing embryo requires the cells between the fingers to initiate apoptosis so that the fingers can separate. The way the apoptotic process is executed facilitates the safe disposal of cell corpses and fragments.
Since the beginning of the 1990s, research on apoptosis has grown spectacularly. In addition to its importance as a biological phenomenon, defective apoptotic processes have been implicated in an extensive variety of diseases. Too much apoptosis causes cell-loss disorders, whereas too little results in uncontrolled cell proliferation, namely cancerous tumors.
Not all forms of PCD share the characteristic shapes (the morphology) and sequences of apoptosis, but all types of PCD are highly-regulated processes.
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4th International Meeting on Yeast Apoptosis - Held for five days in Miami Beach, Florida.
Meta Description: [ Yeast Apoptosis community ]
Aging, The Molecular Concepts - Scientific survey, which covers genetical, cellular and biochemical aspects of aging. Also includes a classification of age related diseases, from the Innovita Research Foundation, Vilnius, Lithuania.
Meta Description: [ Aging, the molecular concepts. Researches of ageing, molecular concepts of aging, cloning and age related diseases (Alzheimer's disease, Werner syndrome, Parkinson disease etc.) ]
Apoptosis World - Resources for researchers, with information and links to manufacturers' assay kits, protocols, literature reviews, and site-submission.
Meta Description: [ This site provides links to a wide range of resources for the study of apoptosis. ]
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Apoptosis: Programmed Cell Death - Describes and illustrates the roles of caspases and the bcl-2 family, and discusses the potential therapeutic benefits of suppression/induction of apoptosis. Includes cv, research interests and contacts for author at University of Leeds, England.
Meta Description: [ Mechanisms of Apoptosis: Mitochondria and Death Receptors. ]
Caspases and their role in Apoptosis - Animations (Flash), diagrams and descriptive text which explain the role of Caspases in apoptosis for students in higher education.
Cell Death Society - Lists of meetings related to apoptosis and programmed cell death. Includes contacts for membership based in Flushing, NY.
CellDeath.de - the apoptosis project - The Apoptopedia: to labs working in the field of apoptosis, methods, and a forum for open positions in apoptosis research.
Meta Description: [ CellDeath.de - Homepage ]
DNAgeing: Alexander Mazin - Articles on DNA methylation as a generator of mutations and a mechanism of aging. Includes research interests of author in Moscow, Russia.
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Emerging Area of Aging Research: Long-lived Animals with Negligible Senescence - Article on centenarian species and rockfish project from Portland, OR.
Meta Description: [ Biogerontological study to uncover the mechanism(s) that appear to retard aging in very long-lived animals. ]
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Kopecek Research Group - Introduction to members and their work on apoptosis, polymeric anticancer drugs and combination chemotherapy. Includes open positions, at the University of Utah, Salt Lake City.
Role of nitric oxide in apoptosis - An overview of apoptosis with particularly emphasis on the roles that nitric oxide plays in regulating the process.
The Brander Cancer Research Institute - The Brander Cancer Research Institute at New York Medical College is a collection of specialized laboratories devoted to basic research involving new approaches to cancer treatment.
Vertebrate VDAC and Cell Volume Regulation - Summary of published findings on structure and function of extra-mitochondrial vertebrate VDAC, including data indicating the channel's involvement in apoptosis, from the Max-Planck Institute for Experimental Medicine, Goettingen, Germany.
| aka Cell Death. Apoptosis is a process where a cell is degraded in order for it to be ultimately engulfed and recycled ... | |
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