Coming to Terms with Death
Accurate descriptions of a cell's demise may offer clues to diseases and treatments
By Janet Raloff
Death is a part of living�and an essential one. From conception onward, cells divide over and over again. Their endless proliferation would quickly lead to elephantine bodies were it not for a compensating death of cells.
But cells’ deaths can achieve far more than just crowd control. During fetal development, a symphony of cell deaths sculpts the body. During sickness, cascades of biochemical events euthanize diseased cells. Even healthy cells, as they age and lose vigor, commit suicide for the good of the organism.