Plastids provides a broad, state-of-the-art review of plastids, which are essential plant organelles, vital for life on earth. The most common plastids are cholorplasts, which carry out photosynthesis, produce a variety of essential lipids, amino acids and growth regulators, and are involved in many essential intermediary metabolic pathways. The last decade has seen enormous advances in plastid research, and advances in our understanding of how plastids function, offering the potential for the development of safer ways of plant genetic engineering. This volume is directed at researchers and professionals working in plant physiology, cell biology, genetics, molecular biology, biochemistry and agriculture.