This volume contains the Proceedings of the 25th Mosbach Colloquium, the general theme of which is the Biochemistry of Sensory Functions. It was intended, continuing the silver-tradition of these Colloquia, to provide the uninitiated biochemist with an insight into the current status of a line of research in Molecular Biology which, more than many other fields in Biochemistry, has maintained its contacts with and respect for Physiology. The speakers were asked to attempt to outline their topic sufficiently to define the fundamentals and to build up upon this basis the more sophisticated...

The topic of this Mosbach Colloquium was meant as a question to begin with. When I started to study differentiation and morphogenesis in Volvox I hoped for a straightforward answer along prepared groove- only to find out that also here things follow Murphy's Law: they were much more complicated than expected Succour had to be sought. Thus, the idea arose to put this question before a board of experts. Experience would have warned any ex-service man never to utter an idea or else you would be made responsible, and it came as it had to come: I was made impressario of this gremium; I had to...