Having more control over the production of various substances inside of the body, the brain favoring variation had a higher rate of survival and reproduction.
Apoptosis is the process of programmed cell death.
(PS) exposure on the cell surface indicates apoptosis, but has also been related to evasion mechanisms of parasites, a concept known as apoptotic mimicry.
Toxoplasma gondii mimics apoptotic cells by exposing PS, inducing secretion of TGF-beta1 by infected activated macrophages leading to degradation of inducible nitric oxide (NO) synthase, NO production inhibition and consequently persisting in these cells.
The parasite utilizes this cell mimicry to avoid detection upon initial infection.