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Apoptosis is a programmed cell death mechanism that can be triggered through two pathways: extrinsic and intrinsic. The extrinsic pathway starts with external signals binding to death receptors on the cell surface (i.e. FAS receptor), activating a caspase cascade that leads to cell death. Conversely, the intrinsic pathway is initiated from within the cell due to stress signals, causing mitochondria to release pro-apoptotic proteins, like SMAC and cytochrome C, that activate caspases, resulting in apoptosis. Both pathways play crucial roles in maintaining cellular homeostasis and eliminating damaged or unwanted cells. [Template description adapted from GPT3.5, 2023]