Abstract:Programmed cell death (PCD) plays an important role in normal growth and development of plants, it presently has become one of hot points of researches on plants. In this review, we discuss recent studies on the features of PCD in plants including the changes in cell morphology and the processing of DNA, the evidences for PCD during vegetative and reproductive phase of plant development and the interactions of plant with environment, the moleocular mechinisms controlling PCD in plants including related signals, related proteins and related genes. We also suggest some questions to be further investigated and possible value of these studies.