It is now known that a diverse spectrum of pro and anti apoptosis susceptibility genes, including members of the bcl-2 and CASP(ced-3/lce) gene families, are expressed in germ cells and/or somatic cells of the ovary, Many, but not all, of these genes are regulated by specific survival factors, such as gonadotropins and growth factors, and changes in the temporal patterns of cell death gene expression suggest an intimate association exists between the products of these genes and activation of cellular suicide, Moreover, pathological oocyte destruction, such as that triggered by exposure of female germ cells to chemotherapeutic compounds or environmental toxicants, may also be dependent upon gene-driven apoptosis, As such, this review will discuss data supporting the hypothesis that the susceptibility of ovarian cells to death induction is dependent upon the pattern of cell death gene expression occurring within those cells prior to and/or concomitant with receipt of the stimulus for apoptosis, Elucidation of the relationship between germ cell loss and cell death genes may allow future intervention into the process of oocyte depletion associated with normal and pathophysiological reproductive senescence.