= Cell death
<Cell death> is irreversible loss of the integrated functions that sustain a <biological cell>. It can follow catastrophic injury or regulated processes such as <apoptosis>. <Apoptosis> typically packages cellular material for removal by other <cells>; uncontrolled membrane rupture can release intracellular contents. A transient fall in <ATP> or a single altered marker does not by itself establish irreversible <cell death>. In development, selective <cell death> helps shape <tissues>, illustrating that death of individual <cells> can serve the <organism>. <Molecular Biology of the Cell, 4th edition by Bruce Alberts and others>[Chapter 17, Programmed Cell Death (Apoptosis)]{ref}
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