Under conditions where growth factors, nutrients, oxygen, adhesion, and pH are unfavorable for cell proliferation, as well as under oncogenic stress induced by deregulated Ras and Myc oncogenes, AMPK can activate multiple pathways that maintain bioenergetic homeostasis to support cell survival. Which downstream processes are manifest under basal conditions and in response to particular stress conditions as well as the functional outcomes is dependent on the cellular context and the duration and magnitude of the stress.