Final answer:
On an electron micrograph, necrotic cells show swelling, membrane rupture, and disintegration, while apoptotic cells exhibit condensed chromatin and apoptotic bodies. Necrosis demonstrates a more erratic process compared to the orderly nature of apoptosis and results in inflammatory responses.
Step-by-step explanation:
Necrosis, as observed on an electron micrograph, would show cells with cytoplasmic swelling, rupture of the plasma membrane, and disintegration without the formation of apoptotic bodies. Apoptotic cells, in comparison, display chromatin condensation, nuclear fragmentation, and apoptotic bodies on electron micrographs. When viewing cells undergoing necrosis, one would not observe an organized sequence of events like apoptosis but rather a more chaotic process leading to cell lysis and inflammation.
Distinct features indicating necrosis include a marked enlargement of mitochondria and dilation of the endoplasmic reticulum. In some instances, inclusion bodies can occur in the nucleus or cytoplasm due to intracellular changes. These structural changes, often visible under higher magnifications (such as 400x), are indicative of the destructive nature of necrosis. Such images are crucial for distinguishing between necrosis and apoptosis at the cellular level.