Apoptosis in the Central Nervous System with Respect to Novel Inputs and Learning – Ian Mitchell (p.10)

Apoptosis refers to a form of naturally occurring cell death in which cells are eliminated in a selective and non-disruptive manner (Wyllie, 1987). This form of cell death appears to be responsible for the massive loss of neurons seen during early development (Oppenheim, 1991; Waters et al, 1994).