Autolysis is a process by which a biological cell self-destructs. It is
uncommon in adult organisms and usually occurs in injured cells or
dying tissue. It occurs when a lysosome allows the digestive enzymes out
of its membranes. The cell then, in effect, digests itself. The effect
of autolysis is usually lessened in organelles separated from a cell
using cell fractionation, usually by keeping the organelle in the same
conditions it was in before removal; usually keeping organelles as
'ice-cold isotonic buffers'.
while Apoptosis(pronounced ă-pŏp-tŏ’sĭs, apo tō' sis) is a form of
programmed cell death in multicellular organisms. It is one of the main
types of programmed cell death (PCD) and involves a series of
biochemical events leading to a characteristic cell morphology and
death, in more specific terms, a series of biochemical events that lead
to a variety of morphological changes, including blebbing, changes to
the cell membrane such as loss of membrane asymmetry and attachment,
cell shrinkage, nuclear fragmentation, chromatin condensation, and
chromosomal DNA fragmentation. Processes of disposal of cellular debris
whose results do not damage the organism differentiates apoptosis from
necrosis.
