page_title: Karyorrhexis
hierarchical_section_title: Karyorrhexis
caption_attribution_description: English: Nuclear changes
context_page_description: Karyorrhexis is the destructive fragmentation of the nucleus of a dying cell whereby its chromatin is distributed irregularly throughout the cytoplasm. It is usually preceded by pyknosis and can occur as a result of either programmed cell death, cellular senescence, or necrosis.
  In apoptosis, the cleavage of DNA is done by Ca²⁺ and Mg²⁺ -dependent endonucleases.
context_section_description: Karyorrhexis (from Greek κάρυον karyon, "kernel, seed or nucleus", and ῥῆξις rhexis, "bursting") is the destructive fragmentation of the nucleus of a dying cell whereby its chromatin is distributed irregularly throughout the cytoplasm. It is usually preceded by pyknosis and can occur as a result of either programmed cell death (apoptosis), cellular senescence, or necrosis.
  In apoptosis, the cleavage of DNA is done by Ca²⁺ and Mg²⁺ -dependent endonucleases.
caption: Morphological characteristics of pyknosis and other forms of nuclear destruction
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