[Cell death in organogenesis. Creodes and catastrophies. Cell non-death syndromes of face and hand deformities].

Cell death appears to be a paradoxical process but one that is necessary for embryonic and fetal morphogenesis, being a necessary stage in the morphogenetic creode of the organ considered, as dynamically and qualitatively modelled by René Thom. Subtle environmental processes result in "cell suicide" by liberation of the intracellular necrosis enzyme. This phenomenon exists just as naturally during separation of the fingers, fusion of the facial buds, and craniofacial suture growth. Dysfunction produces the syndrome of "cell non-death" as seen for example in Apert's syndrome in which a stomodeal cleft is associated with syndactylies and craniofaciostenosis.