The present volume originated from the workshop "Transduction in
Biological Sys- tems," held at the Marine Biological Station of the
Universidad de Valparaiso, Mon- temar, Chile, May 23-30, 1988, and
contains contributions from most of the partici- pants in the workshop.
The title of both the workshop and the book reflects accurately the
central theme discussed during several days of intense debate and
profound intellectual exchange in the peaceful environment offered by
the central coast of Chile. It was apparent that the workshop was a
great success-a sentiment expressed by many seasoned attendees, some of
whom dared opinions as strong as "It was the best ever." There is no
single reason to explain why this workshop was so successful. Certainly
instrumental was the incredible effort displayed by the Chilean
Organizing Committee in selecting adequate facilities and in organizing
social events that supplemented the scien- tific sessions and provided
an authentic fraternal environment for the participants. Equally
important were the foreign participants, who enthusiastically gave of
their time to take part in the event, and the students, who came from
Chile as well as from several other Latin American countries, and who
applied the necessary pressure in their repeated demands for scientific
clarity, accuracy, and sincerity.