This volume is intended for students and professionals in diverse areas
of the biological and biochemical sciences. It is oriented to those who
are unfamiliar with the use of physical methods in studies of the
biological elements. We hope the reader will find the material a helpful
reference for other volumes of this series as well as the general
literature, and some may see ways to adopt these techniques in their own
pursuits. Every effort has been made to avoid an abstruse presentation.
It should be clear that one individual cannot be expert in all the
disciplines considered here (and the authors recognize that fact with
sin- cere humility). As may be expected of an introductory reference,
most of our attention was focused on the commonly used methods. To
balance this, we have included a few examples of approaches which are
promising but relatively undeveloped at this time. Also, an emphasis has
been placed on element selectivity. It is impossible to envision the
course of future events, and a volume which deals with instrumentation
is especially prone to become outdated. Nevertheless, any valid approach
to a scientific question should be applicable indefinitely.