What is cell death? (Cell Death) - Let's learn this amazing story of our body?

Have you ever wondered how our body renews itself every day? Sometimes our skin sheds, and when we get a wound, it heals and new skin grows. Behind all this is a very amazing and essential process called "Cell Death". Although the name may sound a little scary, it is actually a very important thing that our body needs to stay healthy. Let's talk about it in simple terms today.

Let's first see, what are these cells?

Simply put, cells are like the tiny building blocks that make up our bodies. In fact, we have more than 30 trillion cells in our bodies. Just like bricks are needed to build a house, every part of our body, including our skin, muscles, liver, heart, and brain, is made up of these cells. Each cell has three main parts.

• Cell membrane: This is the thin covering that surrounds the cell. It acts like a gatekeeper, controlling what enters and leaves the cell.
• Cytoplasm: This is the liquid inside the cell. This is where many of the cell's chemical reactions take place, such as making proteins and producing energy.
• Nucleus: This is the control center of the cell, like the brain. All of our genetic information, or DNA, is stored inside this nucleus. The nucleus also uses the information in this DNA to make RNA, which carries the messages needed for the cell to function.

Why do cells in our body die?

There are several reasons why cells die. Some of these are good, some of them are not so good.

• Aging: Just as we age, cells also have a certain lifespan. After a healthy cell divides about 50-60 times and makes new cells, that cell can no longer divide. After that, the cell naturally dies.
• Damage: Some cells become damaged beyond repair. When this happens, those cells naturally die and are replaced by new, healthy cells.
• Disuse: Sometimes, during development, some cells become unnecessary. For example, a baby's fingers may initially be fused together, but only separate when the cells between them die.
• Diseases and external causes: Germs, toxins, injuries, and some medical conditions can also cause cells to be damaged and die.

What are the main ways cells die?

Let's talk about three main ways that cells die. These three are very different from each other. These are apoptosis, autophagy, and necrosis.

1. Apoptosis - programmed cell death

This is called "programmed cell death." What happens here is that when a cell reaches the end of its lifespan, or when it is damaged, it destroys itself in an orderly manner, without harming the surrounding cells.

The best example is the separation of the baby's fingers in the womb that I mentioned earlier. Initially, there is a skin-like area between the fingers. When the unnecessary cells in between die off in a planned manner due to the process of ``Apoptosis``, the fingers separate beautifully. If this process does not happen properly, some babies may have fingers stuck together at birth (Syndactyly).

What happens if this process goes wrong?

• If apoptosis does not occur properly:Imagine what would happen if old, damaged cells continued to live without dying. Those cells would start dividing uncontrollably. This is the main reason why cancer occurs. Cancer cells are "immortal" cells that do not die when they should.
• If apoptosis happens too much: Sometimes, cells that are essential to the body die during this process when they shouldn't. For example, in diseases of the nervous system such as Parkinson's disease or Alzheimer's disease, essential nerve cells (neurons) in the brain die too much. This affects the ability to think and move.

2. Autophagy - Cells 'eating' themselves

The word `Autophagy` means ``self-eating.'' This is also a planned process. However, the entire cell does not die here. What happens is that the cell itself ``digests'' the old, damaged, and useless parts inside the cell and reuses the resulting materials to build new, healthy parts.

Simply put, it's like cleaning a house. You throw out the broken things, take the usable things, and build new things.

What are the good and bad things about this?

• The good side: This recycling process helps our immune system destroy germs like viruses and bacteria that enter the body. It can also help prevent healthy cells from turning into cancer cells and protect against diseases like heart disease.
• The downside: If someone already has cancer, this process of ``Autophagy'' can have a negative impact, as cancer cells can use the extra nutrition from this recycling to grow even faster.

Some people try to control their diet or fast in an attempt to rejuvenate their cells. Although it is believed that this stimulates the process of ``Autophagy'', it has not been scientifically proven to be effective. Strict dietary restrictions can be harmful to your health, so you should definitely talk to your doctor before doing such a thing.

3. Necrosis - Cells that die suddenly

This is the way cells die without a plan, due to an accident. Just as `(Apoptosis)` is like a peaceful retirement, `(Necrosis)` is like an accidental death.

Due to an injury, toxin, infection, or loss of blood flow to an area, cells are damaged and 'burst'. The contents of the cell then leak out and damage the surrounding healthy cells. This causes inflammation in that area and more cells begin to die. This is called tissue death.

Main causes of necrosis:

• Injuries and accidents
• Infections such as bacteria and viruses
• Toxic substances and drug use
• The loss of blood and oxygen supply to a part of the body. For example, in gangrene, skin tissue dies. In avascular necrosis, bone tissue dies.