Volume I highlights the association of the cellular prion protein (PrP^C) with copper and zinc, the potential roles of PrP^C in Alzheimer's disease and cancers, insoluble PrP^C, PMCA, molecular and cellular mechanisms of PrP^Sc formation and clearance, possible co-factors involved in the conversion of PrP^C into PrP^Sc, infectious and pathogenic forms of PrP, cell biology of prions, prion strains and their interference, as well as yeast prions and their inheritable and structural traits. This unique volume covers history from the high Middle Ages to the TSE era of Daniel Carleton Gajdusek, followed by the prion era of Stanley Prusiner whose extraordinary discovery opened a new chapter in prion research. Volume I will take you through the fascinating chronicle of prions in mammals, yeast, and fungi.