necrosis
Sign in to savethumb|upright=1.6|Structural changes of cells undergoing necrosis and apoptosis
AI overview
Necrosis is the death of cells in living tissue, typically caused by injury, infection, or lack of blood supply. It matters because unlike controlled cell death, necrosis causes cells to rupture and spill their contents, which can trigger inflammation and damage surrounding healthy tissue.
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Article
14 sectionsContents
- Classification
- Morphological patterns
- Other clinical classifications of necrosis
- Causes
- External factors
- Internal factors
- Pathogenesis
- Pathways
- Histopathological changes
- Treatment
- In plants
- See also
- References
- External links
thumb|upright=1.6|Structural changes of cells undergoing necrosis and apoptosis
Necrosis () is a form of cell injury which results in the premature death of cells in living tissue by autolysis. The term "necrosis" came about in the mid-19th century and is commonly attributed to German pathologist Rudolf Virchow, who is often regarded as one of the founders of modern pathology. Necrosis is caused by factors external to the cell or tissue, such as infection, or trauma which result in the unregulated digestion of cell components. In contrast, apoptosis is a naturally occurring programmed and targeted cause of cellular death. While apoptosis often provides beneficial effects to the organism, necrosis is almost always detrimental and can be fatal.