There has been an explosion of new information on the neurobiology of dendritic spines in synaptic signaling, integration, and plasticity. Novel imaging and analytical techniques have provided important new insights into dendritic spine structure and function. Results are accumulating across many disciplines, and a step toward consolidating some of this work has resulted in Dendritic Spines of the Hippocampus. Leaders in the field provide a discussion at the level of advanced undergraduates, with sufficient detail to be a contemporary resource for research scientists. Critical reviews are presented on topics ranging from spine structure, formation, and maintenance, to molecular composition, plasticity, and the role of spines in learning and memory. Dendritic Spines of the Hippocampus provides a timely discussion of our current understanding of form and function at these excitatory synapses. We asked authors to include areas of controversy in their papers so as to distinguish results that are generally agreed upon from those where multiple interpretations are possible. We thank the contributors for their insights and thoughtful discussions. In this paper we provide background on the structure, composition, function, development, plasticity, and pathology of hippocampal dendritic spines. In addition, we highlight where each of these subjects will be elaborated upon in subsequent papers of this special issue of Hippocampus. Hippocampus 2000;10:501–511. © 2000 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.