Med Klin
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Apoptosis, the death of a single cell according to an exactly defined intracellular program, is a key principle allowing embryonic development and later on tissue homeostasis in metazoans. ⋯ Our review focuses on clinical aspects of apoptosis. In the first part the major proteins forming the deadly intracellular cascade will be discussed, while the second part relates to diseases which are characterized by a dysfunction of the apoptotic program.