The Inflammatory Process, Second Edition is an account of the inflammatory process and covers topics ranging from cell surface phenomena and connective tissue to the role of the formed elements of the blood in inflammatory states, particularly in the light of the rapidly burgeoning literature on platelet physiology. The life history and functional capacities of leukocytes are also examined, along with chemotaxis, phagocytosis, and the mechanisms responsible for tissue damage in inflammation. Comprised of 10 chapters, this volume begins with an overview of the experimental approach to the study of inflammation, followed by a discussion on the biochemistry of the mammalian plasma membrane. The reader is then introduced to cell injury; chemotaxis; phagocytosis; and lysosomal mechanisms in the inflammatory process. Subsequent chapters deal with the inflammatory process at the cellular level, paying particular attention to neutrophil leukocytes; the metabolism and physiology of mononuclear phagocytes; the role of platelets in inflammatory reactions; and structural and biochemical characteristics of mast cells. This book will be of interest to practitioners in fields ranging from biochemistry to pathology, bacteriology, physiology, and immunology.