APOPTOSISApo: apart

Ptosis: falling

Shedding of leaves from trees!

Characteristics of Apoptosis

Shrinks. Blebbing. Nucleus

breaks down, breaks into small membrane wrapped fragments.

Importance of Apoptosis

Maturing organisms.

Viruses. Immune

System. DNA

damage.

What is a Caspase?

Have been termed "executioner" proteins for their roles in the cell.

Plays an essential role in apoptosis, necrosis, and inflammation.

Two types of caspases; initiator (2,8,9,10) & effector caspases (3,6,7).

CASP 4,CASP 5 are not classified as initiator nor effector because they are inflammatory enzymes that, with the help of CASP 1,are involved in T-cell maturation.

Apoptosis: Pathways

Death Ligands

Effector Caspase 3

Death Receptors

Initiator Caspase 8

PCD

DNA damage

& p53

Mitochondria/Cytochrome C

Initiator Caspase 9

“Extrinsic Pathway”

“Intrinsic Pathway”