What feature distinguishes necrosis from apoptosis?
A) Necrosis requires ATP.
B) Necrosis is characterized by cellular shrinkage and chromatin condensation.
C) Necrosis induces inflammation.
D) Necrosis results in nuclear fragments of 185 base pairs.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Necrosis and apoptosis are two types of cell death, but they differ in several key features. Necrosis is associated with cell swelling and rupture, whereas apoptosis is characterized by cellular shrinkage and the formation of membrane-bound apoptotic bodies. Another important distinction is that necrosis induces inflammation, whereas apoptosis does not. This is because necrotic cells release their contents, which triggers an inflammatory response, whereas apoptotic cells are phagocytosed and cleared by neighboring cells without inducing inflammation. Neither necrosis nor apoptosis require ATP, and nuclear fragmentation into 185 base pair fragments is a characteristic of apoptosis, not necrosis.

What Feature Distinguishes Necrosis from Apoptosis