How death shapes life during development

Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol. 2002 Oct;3(10):779-87. doi: 10.1038/nrm931.

Abstract

The formation of an adult animal from a fertilized embryo involves the production and death of cells. Surprisingly, many cells are produced during development with an ultimate fate of death, and defects in programmed cell death can result in developmental abnormalities. Recent studies indicate that cells can die by many different mechanisms, and these differences have implications for proper animal development and disorders such as cancer and autoimmunity.

Publication types

  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Apoptosis / genetics
  • Apoptosis / physiology*
  • Caenorhabditis elegans / cytology
  • Caenorhabditis elegans / genetics
  • Caenorhabditis elegans / growth & development
  • Drosophila melanogaster / cytology
  • Drosophila melanogaster / genetics
  • Drosophila melanogaster / growth & development
  • Growth / genetics
  • Growth / physiology*
  • Humans
  • Mice
  • Models, Biological
  • Mutation