Provides a detailed account of the structures and physical chemistry properties of nucleic acids, with an emphasis on the implications for biological function. The volume is organized to be of use to physical chemists, physical biochemists, and molecular biologists as well as students in those disciplines, requiring only a basic understanding of physical chemistry and molecular biology as prerequisites. Each chapter begins with a statement of the biological significance of each topic, followed by a presentation of the basic physical ideas and major results. Quantitative details are developed in special sections or appendices.