X-ray microanalysis is a widely used technique in studies of cell and tissue elemental composition. It has applications in many different areas of biology, including animal and plant cell physiology, medicine, pathology and studies on environmental pollution. The author presents an up-to-date look at the use of X-ray microanalysis in biology and discusses the potential of the technique for future research. The author tackles four major aspects of X-ray microanalysis - detection and quantification of X-rays, associated techniques, specimen preparation, and applications. The book is clearly written and highly illustrated, with each section containing chapters by experts in the field.