PATHOLOGY

Detailed explanation-1: -Apoptosis occurs normally during development and aging and as a homeostatic mechanism to maintain cell populations in tissues. Apoptosis also occurs as a defense mechanism such as in immune reactions or when cells are damaged by disease or noxious agents (Norbury and Hickson, 2001).

Detailed explanation-2: -A type of cell death in which a series of molecular steps in a cell lead to its death. This is one method the body uses to get rid of unneeded or abnormal cells. The process of apoptosis may be blocked in cancer cells. Also called programmed cell death.

Detailed explanation-3: -Aging in the mammalian heart is characterized by a loss of myocytes and hypertrophy of the remaining myocytes (Olivetti et al., 1991). Both apoptotic and necrotic mechanisms are implicated in myocyte cell loss during normal heart aging as well as in heart failure (Kajstura et al., 1996; Kung et al., 2011).