Immunochemical investigations of the viral antigens and molecular characterization of the viral DNA have elucidated the nature of the hepatitis B virus infection underlying acute, chronic, and oncogenic disorders of the liver in man. Cloning and sequencing of viral DNA have made possible studies on the structure of the genome and on certain aspects of the biology of the virus, hitherto constrained for a lack of tissue culture systems and laboratory animal models useful in its propagation.