About the Book:The field of immunology has progressed so much since the first edition of this book was published seven years ago, that this fully updated second edition appears as a major new work. Its wide scope, depth of coverage, and eminence of authorship make it unique in the field. Like other volumes in the Frontiers in Molecular Biology series, this book presents an up-to-date picture of current research topics in a key area. The contributors to this book have been carefully chosen to reflect the main thrusts of research efforts across a broad range within the rapidly developing field of immunology. Subjects covered include immunoglobulin gene rearrangement, the MHC antigens, B-cell activation, and the complement system. The book is well-illustrated, and there are over 1900 references cited.