Phagocytosis—Past and Future is a collection of contributions by investigators who met in the Province of Messina, Sicily, in October 1980 to discuss the functions of phagocytic leukocytes in the host-parasite relationship. The topics discussed are largely in the areas of cell biology, cellular immunology, and biochemistry. They ranged from aspects of cellular movement and the ingestion process per se, to definition of substances that affect the function of phagocytic leukocytes and the nature of cidal mechanisms at the molecular level. This volume is organized into six sections encompassing 33 chapters and begins with an overview of Ilya Ilich Metchnikoff's life as well as his scientific contributions, particularly in the area of bacteriology and his research on mesodermal amoeboid cells. The next chapters focus on the mechanism of phagocytosis, with reference to aspects of cell membrane, cell movement, and ingestion. The reader is methodically introduced to the biochemical aspects of phagocytosis, from molecular modulations to energetics, oxygen radicals, and enzymes. The discussion then shifts to macrophages, their function in antigen recognition, receptor-mediated endocytosis in macrophage cell hybrids, and the role of phagocytosis in macrophage activation. The remaining chapters examine the cidal mechanisms of phagocytic leukocytes and aspects of inflammation. This book will be of interest to scientists and researchers in fields such as biology, biochemistry, immunology, pathology, pharmacology, and physiology.