Host-fungal Interactions: Pre-penetration -- Fungal Spore Germination and Pre-symbiotic Mycelial Growth - Physiological and Genetic Aspects -- Functional Categories of Root Exudate Compounds and their Relevance to AM Fungal Growth -- The Making of Symbiotic Cells in Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Roots -- Strigolactones and Their Role in Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Symbiosis -- Host-fungal Interactions: Post-penetration -- Molecular-Physiological Aspects of the AM Symbiosis Post Penetration -- Phosphate Transporters in Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Symbiosis -- Nutrient Uptake: The Arbuscular Mycorrhiza Fungal Symbiosis as a Plant Nutrient Acquisition Strategy -- Hormonal Responses in Host Plants Triggered by Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi -- Host-fungal Interactions: Post-penetration -- Impact of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Symbiosis on Plant Response to Biotic Stress: The Role of Plant Defence Mechanisms -- Biotic Environment of the Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi in Soil -- Influence of the Symbiosis on the Host and its Surrounding: Host Response to Abiotic Stress -- Host Response to Osmotic Stresses: Stomatal Behaviour and Water Use Efficiency of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Plants -- Metal Tolerant Mycorrhizal Plants: A Review from the Perspective on Industrial Waste in Temperate Region -- Evolutionary and Diversity Perspectives of Mycorrhizal Association -- Effect of Differences Among Crop Species and Cultivars on the Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Symbiosis -- Mycorrhizal Symbiosis and Plant Reproduction. In the years since the first edition of "Arbuscular Mycorrhizas: Physiology and Function" was published, an exceptional proliferation of interest in mycorrhizal biology has developed. This has been associated with advances in different research disciplines such as genetics, genomics, proteomics, metabolomics and physiology, advances which have generated better insight into topics of mycorrhizal biology, including the mechanisms of host-mycorrhiza interactions pre- and post-penetration, the influence of the symbiosis on the host and its surroundings, and the evolution and diversity of mycorrhization. It therefore became necessary to both update and expand the book's coverage in this, its second edition.