This book contains a survey of present-day research into the biomedical fundamentals of Alzheimer's disease (AD). It contains 20 chapters dealing with widely ranging topics, all of which have a bearing upon the understanding and treatment of AD. Starting with a broad survey of the contribution that the various microscopical techniques (light microscopy, electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy) have made since the seminal light microscopical studies of Alois Alzheimer, the book presents chapters on specialist topics: transgenic mouse models of AD; the enzymology of amyloid-ss production and degradation; oxidant stress and antioxidant protection; the involvement of metal ions and the influence of chelators; the importance of amyloid-ss oligomers and fibrils, the role of cholesterol in their formation and characteristic binding of the dye Congo red; of the many AD plaque-associated proteins, ApoE4 , clusterin and acetylcholinesterase receive individual attention; the effect of amyloid-ss on neuronal membrane calcium channels and membrane fluidity are covered, as are drug interactions, the ss-sheet breaking peptides and the statins that may prevent oligomer/fibril formation in AD; the possible significance of amyloid-ss phosphorylation receives detailed attention. Overall, the book contains a broad range of current information on cellular, biochemical and structural aspects of amyloid-ss, of direct relevance to Alzheimer's disease.