Cells in an organism rely on external signals for regulation. All activities, including cell death, are programmed. Is cell death advantageous? Programmed cell death helps in the control of multicellular development and can result in the removal of unwanted structures or tissues, such as the tail of a developing human embryo or the tissue between developing digits. There are two ways of cell death:
Apoptosis is a programmed process where a cell undergoes physiological changes to commit suicide, also known as self-destruction or autophagy.
Necrosis is a type of accidental cell death caused by external factors such as infection, toxins, and tumors.
