There are many unanswered questions regarding the molecular nature of antibodies, components of complement, and other substances which participate in the immune response. The list of substances which need to be analyzed chemically is increasing. Plasma cell products, of course, have long been of great interest because the most prevalent ones are immunoglobulins. Other cell types, however, are the source of the broad spectrum of additional substances which classically fall into the sanctum of the molecular immunologist. It is these substances, and especially those more recently discovered,...

Included in this volume is a broad range of topics. Immunology is such a diverse field that many of the subspecialties overlap, and one finds it convenient and necessary to integrate information from several of them. We try to focus on the molecular aspects of immunology as much as is reasonable, but some con tributions consist of ablend of molecular and cellular immunology and even immunopathology. This is as it should be, since information at the molecular level often provides an explanation of phenomena observed at other levels. Myelin basic protein holds the interest of immunologists...