Cell death. Confocal light micrograph of cells in the retina of the eye undergoing programmed cell death (apoptosis). The small bright yellow dots are the nuclei of the suicidal cells. Apoptosis is a normal part of the development of a tissue or organ. More cells than are required are born, and the redundant cells are instructed to kill themselves by chemical messengers. After the death of the cells, their remains are digested by other cells, as they contain valuable cellular material. Magnification unknown.