• Question: How does cell death facinate you ?

    Asked by stickyrow to Dr D on 19 Jun 2013. This question was also asked by 10rainbirdb, 15richardsons, 11ocheung, sciencemanjoe, pheonix, 17kendricks.
    • Photo: Andrew Devitt

      Andrew Devitt answered on 19 Jun 2013:

      It’s really great to see how a cell commits suicide. It is really carefully controlled and it is incredibly important. If cells didn’t die, you’d have webbed hands and feet. And you wouldn’t be able to control your immune system properly and you’d get cancer really easily.

      So if we can understand how cell death works, we can help to prevent and treat cancer, we can learn to control our immune systems (so they don’t attack us).

      It’s also really beautiful when you watch. The cells look like they are boiling.

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