Apoptosis, or programmed cell death, is a vital process in development that helps shape organs and remove unnecessary or damaged cells. This controlled cell death allows for the elimination of cells that are no longer needed, such as during the sculpting of fingers and toes in a developing embryo. Apoptosis is tightly regulated by a series of signaling pathways and proteins, including the Bcl-2 family and caspases, ensuring that cell death occurs orderly and systematically.
