Table 1 Conditions involving apoptosis

Physiological conditions

Programmed cell destruction in embryonic development for the purpose of sculpting of tissue

Physiologic involution such as shedding of the endometrium, regression of the lactating breast

Normal destruction of cells accompanied by replacement proliferation such as in the gut epithelium

Involution of the thymus in early age

Pathological conditions

Anticancer drug induced cell death in tumours

Cytotoxic T cell induced cell death such as in immune rejection and graft versus host disease

Progressive cell death and depletion of CD4+ cells in AIDs

Some forms of virus-induced cell death, such as hepatitis B or C

Pathologic atrophy of organs and tissues as a result of stimuli removal e.g. prostatic atrophy after orchidectomy

Cell death due to injurious agents like radiation, hypoxia and mild thermal injury

Cell death in degenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease

Cell death that occurs in heart diseases such as myocardial infarction