Cell biology and genetics are subjects often much feared by medical students. They are central to all disease processes and yet, because of the current educational emphasis on "soft skills" on top of academics, are receiving less and less attention in the undergraduate curriculum. Neither subject need be difficult (honest!), and this book aims to present material in a clear and concise manner, to support lecture and PBL notes and to break down some of those dark walls of fear! In the 5 years that has passed since the second edition was published, much has changed in the world of genetics, molecular and cellular biology. Many chapters have been reordered and rewritten in order to take into account the many changes that have occurred in this fast paced and exciting field. The human genome project was completed in 2003, and the genomes of many other organisms have also been unlocked, leading to the new fields of genomics, proteomics, metabolomics and bioinformatics. Powerful new technologies, such as RNAi, hold much promise not only as research tools, but also as potential treatments to many genetic conditions.