Histology, Cell Death

Excerpt

Essential to any organism’s survival is its ability to sustain a stable internal environment. In medicine, this balance is referred to as homeostasis, a relatively stable state that the body attempts to maintain for a smoothly functioning system. Cell growth, division, and death are all important parts of this regulation, and each is highly regulated. Loss of this balance is seen in tumor cells where mechanisms of cell death are avoided, resulting in uncontrolled cell growth. Conversely, conditions where extensive cell death is seen also result in loss of homeostasis, such as in the case of neuronal loss in Alzheimer disease.