This multi-authored work provides a comprehensive account of both general and systemic pathology in the modern context. Each chapter has been written by a panel of internationally acknowledged experts and incorporates the most recent advances in the field. Volume I is devoted to the general principles of pathology. Emphasis is placed on the integration of molecular biology with classic cellular pathology. It incorporates a discussion of normal cell structure, differentiation, and function. There are separate chapters on chromosomal organization and gene regulation; general principles of immunology and immune mechanisms in disease including the pathophysiology of infection and other defense mechanisms. There are also two sections on abnormal cell growth including an extensive chapter on neoplasia. Developmental and environmental pathology are also covered in this volume. The emphasis throughout has been to correlate well-established general principles and phenomena in pathology with what is now known about underlying cellular and molecular mechanisms.