[en] The general goal of research on the interstellar medium is to understand the structure and dynamics of the interstellar gas. This subject is important for three reasons. First, the classic tracers of the spiral structure of galaxies are related directly to the gaseous component of galactic disks. Therefore an understanding of the dynamics of the gas is essential in interpreting observations of spiral galaxies. Second, radio continuum observations relate to the magnetic field, which is frozen into the gas under most circumstances. Hence these observations must be interpreted using magnetohydrodynamic models. Third, the initial conditions for star formation are determined by the structure and dynamics of the interstellar gas. In this way gas dynamics plays an essential role in understanding the relative numbers of binary and single stars, the formation of planetary systems, and even the evolution of the stellar content of galaxies