Necrosis and apoptosis in the gastrointestinal tract.

Necrosis and apoptosis in the gastrointestinal tract Cell death, once dismissed as a chaotic phenomenon unworthy of serious study, now finds itself the subject of some of the most exciting biomedical research today. This transformation was brought about by the realisation that cell death is the result of distinct cellular events rather than random disintegration. Although various modes of cell death exist, only the processes of necrosis and apoptosis have been described in detail. Necrosis is a passive process resulting from the destruction of critical cellular structures, whereas apoptosis requires the active participation of the cell in its own death and can be prevented by inhibitors of RNA and protein synthesis.' Recently, it has been dis-