Apoptosis distinguishing features

Neuronopathy. Neuronopathy refers to generalized damage to nerve cells, with the primary damage occurring at the nerve cell body. Axonal and dendritic processes die secondarily in response to loss of the cell body. Like other cells in the body, neurons die by one of two processes distinguished by their morphological and molecular features apoptosis and necrosis. (This division is overly simplistic there is much debate... 

Using conventional histology, it is not always easy to distinguish apoptosis from necrosis they can occur simultaneously, depending on the intensity and duration of the stimulus, the extent of ATP depletion, and so on. Table 16.2 compares some of the major morphological features of apoptosis and necrosis. 

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