Abstract: Apoptosis and programmed cell death are normal processes in multicellular organisms.They are as important as proliferation for tissue development and homeostasis.Disregulation of apoptosis and programmed cell death would not only result in disturbance of tissue development and homeostasis,but would also cause a serial pathological changes.The aim of this review is to summarize the current knowledge on morphology,induction,genetic regulation and biochemical background of apoptosis and programmed cell death.