The XXX Congress of the International Union of Physiological Sciences took place in Vancouver, Canada, in July 1986; and this Volume contains a selection of the Review Lectures which formed part of the Congress programme. They cover most of the areas of contemporary physiology and were presented by distinguished scientists from many parts of the world. An innovation at this Congress was the inclusion in the programme of a number of lectures devoted to historical subjects. These lectures attracted large audiences at the meetings, and three of them also appear in this book. Finally, the Plenary...