The field of cell death research has undergone
an explosion of new knowledge over the past decade.
The realization that programmed cell death operates
by highly conserved ubiquitous mechanisms in cells,
and that these events are pivotal in most important
pathologic processes, has focused interest on cell
death research. The need for histochemical and cytochemical
methods to evaluate death of cells, especially
in intact tissues, has led to the development of
several techniques. These methods are now used extensively
in the study of a wide variety of diseases and
in the study of physiology and development. However,
the interpretation and accuracy of these methods
are not always clear.