Lignin is a generic name for the complex aromatic polymers that are major components of vascular plant tissues. Lignin is abundant; in terms of weight it is probably second only to cellulose among renewable organic materials, and in terms of energy content it might well be the single most abundant. an international seminar on lignin biodegradation was organized and was held May 9 to 11, 1978, at the U.S. Forest Products Laboratory in Madison, Wisconsin. This book records the proceedings of that seminar and is meant to provide a summary of research. Each speaker/author was asked to summarize his research, including his latest unpublished results, and to describe how his work fits into the overall picture. Following two orientation chapters, one a review of lignin structure and morphological distribution in plant cell walls, and the second a review of the microbial catabolism of relevant aromatics, the book is comprised of chapters in the three subject areas given by the book's title. It does, as intended, provide comprehensive coverage of research to date (August 1978).