Nowadays as a result of an increased awareness of their social and ecological responsibilities more and more scientists and physicians wish to increase their current knowledge of poisons and the effects of these on human beings and the environment. This is increasingly true of chemists and biologists, who have already been confronted, during their studies, with questions concerning the health risks of chemicals and the legal regulations involved. This book is a modern introduction to toxicology and treats these topics.Starting from the medical, biochemical and pharmacological fundamentals it describes the methods used for recognizing and assessing toxicological risks. There is a detailed treatment of mechanisms and detection methods for genotoxic, reproduction-toxic and carcinogenic chemicals in the laboratory, at the place of work and in the environment. All the authors are eminent: years of experience at the forefront of academic and industrial research and teaching have brought them not only technical but also outstanding didactic competence. Their contributions are clearly structured in 35 chapters and form a richly illustrated presentation.