Since the invention of the light microscope and our first vistas of cells, technological and conceptual
developments have gone hand in hand. Hence a review of some of the methodology is useful, although in
the chapters that follow, results and techniques are frequently considered together. Our review first
examines the techniques more traditionally associated with cell biology: microscopy and the isolation of
cell components. These sections are followed by the approaches of molecular biology, such as
recombinant DNA technology and immunological techniques, which have revolutionized every aspect of
biology and have obvious significance in studies concerning cell function and structure. More traditional
biochemical techniques that have become part of biological studies are also included. A preliminary view
of cell organization is then presented; other chapters will expand on the themes raised in this section.