Gap junctions are present in nearly all tissues, regardless of their embronic origin and have long been of great interest to scientists from many different disciplines. The international meeting on which this book is based brought together 157 scientists from 12 countries and almost as many scientific disciplines. The papers presented at the meeting were reviewed and updated prior to publication in this book. The seven parts of the book progress from general topics to the more specific ones (role of gap junctions in various tissues, regulation and biochemistry, and cancer).