The intrinsic pathway, also known as the mitochondrial pathway, is triggered by internal stress signals such as DNA damage, oxidative stress, and oncogene activation. This pathway involves the release of cytochrome c from the mitochondria, which subsequently activates caspases leading to cell death.
The extrinsic pathway, on the other hand, is initiated by external signals binding to death receptors on the cell surface. This binding activates the caspase cascade directly, leading to apoptosis. Key death receptors include Fas and TNF receptor.
