It is important to point out that cellular function may

be lost long before cell death occurs, and that the mor-
phologic changes of cell injury (or death) lag far behind
loss of function and viability (Fig. 2.5). For example, myo-
cardial cells become noncontractile after 1 to 2 minutes
of ischemia, but may not die until 20 to 30 minutes of
ischemia have elapsed. Morphologic features indica-
tive of the death of ischemic myocytes appear by elec-
tron microscopy within 2 to 3 hours after the death of the
cells, but are not evident by light microscopy until 6 to 12
hours later.