The characteristics of any organism are determined by how its genes are expressed in a process called transcription. RNA polymerase III is the largest and most complex of the enzymes responsible for transcription. This book describes what is currently known about how this enzyme works and how its activity is controlled at the molecular level. The book describes the genes that serve as pol III templates, and also provides and in-depth look at pol III itself and the transcription factors required for it to function. It examines how these proteins interact with one another and with promoter DNA to recruit pol III to the appropriate genetic templates and explains transcription initiation, elongation, and termination, as well as the influence of chromatin structure.