Immune Reactivity of Lymphocytes: Development, Expression, and Control

The area of the Lake of Galilee, which is the site of the Fifth Confer­ ence on Lymphatic Tissues and Germinal Centers, has been a germinal center of dramatic events in human history. Thus, some two million years ago, it seems to have harbored an important phase of human evolu­ tion, when the descendants of the African Australopithecus migrated north­ wards, attempting to become Homo sapiens. Two thousand years ago, this very place was a germinal center for a new religion which determined some of the most important components of the history of western civilization. This may have been the first significant contribution of the people of the Lake of Galilee area to the world of ideas and values. More recently, some 70 years ago, this very place was a germinal center for a great ex­ periment aimed at the translation into actual reality of ethical and social values, by the establishment of the first kibbutz in Israel on this shore. We, therefore, hoped that by selecting this place for the Fifth Germinal Centers Meeting we could expect the inspiration of the site to generate new concepts and views.