During apoptosis, exposure of phosphatidylserine requires
Apoptosis is an orderly, energy-dependent form of programmed cell death that eliminates cells without provoking inflammation. Characteristic morphological features include cell shrinkage, chromatin condensation (pyknosis), nuclear fragmentation (karyorrhexis), membrane blebbing and formation of apoptotic bodies that display phosphatidylserine as an “eat-me” signal for phagocytes. Rapid clearance of these bodies prevents release of intracellular contents and subsequent inflammation.
Ref: NCERT Biology Class 11–12 Alberts et al Molecular Biology of the Cell Lodish et al, Molecular Cell Biology Cooper & Hausman, The Cell Abbas et al., Cellular and Molecular Immunology (for immunology sections)