Final answer:
Cytochrome c binds with adaptor protein to form the apoptosome, which activates initiator caspases and triggers apoptosis.
Step-by-step explanation:
The student is asking about an important process in cellular biology related to apoptosis or programmed cell death. Cytochrome c plays a pivotal role in this process by binding to an adaptor protein, which leads to the recruitment of procaspases. The procaspases undergo an allosteric change upon binding which activates them. This activation forms the 'apoptosome,' a complex that activates initiator caspases, starting the cascade of events leading to the cell's auto-digestion.
Initiator caspases, once activated, can cleave and activate other executioner caspases, leading to the breakdown of the cellular components and ultimately cell death. Cytochrome c is released from mitochondria, where it is also involved in the electron transport chain, part of cellular respiration. The release of cytochrome c from the mitochondria is a key step in the intrinsic pathway of apoptosis.