| Introduction | Apoptosis, or programmed cell death, is a form of cell death that is generally triggered by normal, healthy processes in the body. | Necrosis is the premature death of cells and living tissue. Though necrosis is being researched as a possible form of programmed cell death, it is considered an "unprogrammed" cell death process at this time. |
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| Natural | Yes | Caused by factors external to the cell or tissue, such as infection, toxins, or trauma. |
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| Effects | Usually beneficial. Only abnormal when cellular processes that keep the body in balance cause too many cell deaths or too few. | Always detrimental |
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| Process | Membrane blebbing, shrinkage of cell, nuclear collapse (nuclear fragmentation, chromatin
condensation, chromosomal DNA fragmentation), apoptopic body formation. Then, engulf by white blood cells. | Membrane disruption, respiratory poisons and hypoxia which cause ATP depletion, metabolic collapse, cell swelling and rupture leading to inflammation. |
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| Symptoms | Usually no noticeable symptoms related to the process. | Inflammation, decreasing blood flow at affected site, tissue death (gangrene). |
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| Causes | Self-generated signals in a cell. Generally natural part of life, the continuation of the cellular cycle initiated by mitosis. | Bacterial or fungal infections, denatured proteins that impede circulation, fungal and mycobacterial infections, pancreatitis, deposits of antigens and antibodies combined with fibrin. |
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| Medical Treatment | Very rarely needs treatment.
| Always requires medical treatment. Untreated necrosis is dangerous and can lead to death.
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