The p53 tumour suppressor gene functions in both cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. Despite considerable advances in understanding as to how p53 regulates growth arrest, the mechanisms by which p53 regulates apoptosis are only just emerging. In particular, there appears to be a structural and functional separation between the ability of p53 to induce growth arrest and apoptosis. This review examines the interactions between p53-induced growth arrest and apoptosis, and the mechanisms of p53-induced apoptosis, both via induction of p53 transcriptional targets and via nontranscriptional mechanisms.