Information on chemical background, the cell, plant growth regulators and biochemistry have been integrated into the text where relevant, instead of chapters formally addressing this material. ∗ Emphasis is placed on underlying principles, rather than encyclopedic details. ∗ Epistemology, the how–we–know–what–we–know of plant physiology is also emphasized. ∗ Provides a good balance between traditional plant physiology and modern topics such as photo synthesis, plant biotechnology, and environmental physiology.