| |
 The caspases:
- Activate endonucleases. Endonucleases destroy the cell's DNA.
- Cleave PARP. PARP normally repairs damaged DNA. When PARP is cleaved by caspases, it no longer functions, hastening destruction of the DNA by endonucleases.
- cleave important enzymes– some are deactivated; others, deregulated. The deregulation of enzymes catalyzing structural protein formation leads to apoptosis' charactersitic blebbing of the cell's membrane
Phosphatidyl serine, a molecule normally found on the inside of the cell's membrane, is flipped to the outside (probably by cytochrome c.) Macrophages thus recognize the cell, and engulf and digest the blebs. The cell's contents are not released, thus there is no inflammation and damage to the surrounding tissues.
Click to view animations:
|