▁and ▁the ▁maintenance ▁of ▁normal ▁t issue ▁home ost asis . ▁A po pt osis ▁has ▁proven ▁to ▁be ▁tight ly ▁inter w oven ▁with ▁other ▁essential ▁cell ▁path ways . ▁The ▁identification ▁of ▁critical ▁control ▁points ▁in ▁the ▁cell ▁death ▁path way ▁has ▁yield ed ▁fundamental ▁ins ights ▁for ▁basic ▁bi ology , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁provided ▁rational ▁targets ▁for ▁new ▁th era pe ut ics ▁a ▁normal ▁emb ry olog ic ▁processes , ▁or ▁during ▁cell ▁injury ▁( such ▁as ▁is chem ia - re per f usion ▁injury ▁during ▁heart ▁attacks ▁and ▁stro kes ) ▁or ▁during ▁develop ments ▁and ▁processes ▁in ▁cancer , ▁an ▁apo pt otic ▁cell ▁under go es ▁struct ural ▁changes ▁including ▁cell ▁shr ink age , ▁pl asma ▁memb rane ▁ble bb ing , ▁nuclear ▁cond ens ation , ▁and ▁fragment ation ▁of ▁the ▁DNA ▁and ▁nucle us . ▁This ▁is ▁followed ▁by ▁fragment ation ▁into ▁apo pt otic ▁bodies ▁that ▁are ▁quickly ▁removed ▁by ▁ph ag ocy tes , ▁thereby ▁prevent ing ▁an ▁infl am mat ory ▁response . ▁It ▁is ▁a ▁mode ▁of ▁cell ▁death ▁defined ▁by ▁characteristic ▁morph ological , ▁bio chem ical ▁and ▁mole cular ▁changes . ▁It ▁was ▁first ▁described ▁as ▁a ▁" sh r ink age ▁ne c ros is ", ▁and ▁then ▁this ▁term ▁was ▁replaced ▁by ▁apo pt osis ▁to ▁emphas ize ▁its ▁role ▁opposite ▁mit osis ▁in ▁t issue ▁k inet ics . ▁In ▁later ▁stages ▁of ▁apo pt osis ▁the ▁entire ▁cell ▁becomes ▁fragment ed