The dominant pattern of enery flow through a cell falls into one of three general categories depending on whether the cell is resting, dividing or actively differentiated. Any controlling factor that induces a change in the energy flow pattern beyond which the concerted metabolic pathways can integrate, results in flow disharmony that leads to apoptosis. More formally, the internal entropy production cannot be compensated for by the external negative entropic flow that normally passes through the cell and maintains the conglomerate of dissipative structures that in fact constitutes the cell.