1. Home
  2. Health
  3. Palliative Care

"Definition of Cellular Death"

by Kirsti A. Dyer MD, MS, FT
for About.com

Updated: August 8, 2006

About.com Health's Disease and Condition content is reviewed by the Medical Review Board

Definition:
An irreversible process of deterioration in the body's systems and organs. The breakdown of these processes, the sum of which is life, causes a loss of organic functions or death.

Source
DeSpelder LA. Strickland AL. 2002. The Last Dance: Encountering Death and Dying. 6th Ed. New York, N.Y.: McGraw Hill. p. 211-2

An Alternative Definition
Normal cellular function involves the production of free energy required for vital cellular metabolism, the production of enzymatic and structural protein, the maintenance of chemical and osmotic homeostasis of cell, and cell reproduction. During normal functions, cells require oxygen, phosphate, calcium (C, H, N, O, P, S), nutritional substrates, ATP, which is required as a source of free energy, intact cell membranes, and a steady-state activity that requires O2 consumption.

Cell death may occur when any of these functions is interrupted.

Source
Cellular Death - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death

See Also
Apoptosis

Explore Palliative Care
About.com Special Features

Learn how you can reduce your your numbers with these nutrition and exercise tips. More >

Keep yourself, and your family, happy and healthy this fall with these tips. More >

We comply with the HONcode standard for trustworthy health information: verify here.
  1. Home
  2. Health
  3. Palliative Care
  4. Glossary
  5. Definition of Cellular Death

©2009 About.com, a part of The New York Times Company.

All rights reserved.