Nucleon structure information from lepton-nucleon collisions

The source of almost all information on the nucleon structure is the scattering of a beam of leptons off nucleon targets. After giving a quick overview of the subject, the results that are emerging from the recent deep inelastic scattering experiments, in particular the results of recent experiments at HERA a collider facility in Germany are discussed. The resolution achieved in these experiments is the highest so far. Why the region of low x is of great interest is also explained. Another area that has witnessed intense experimental and theoretical activity in recent years is the polarized deep inelastic scattering and the spin structure functions of the nucleon. Recent experiments at SLAC and CERN and what they have to say about the proton spin crisis are discussed. Future growth areas in this field from experimental and theoretical points of view are also discussed. 7 refs