An examination of the nature of memory reveals that the representation of knowledge cannot be separated from the uses of knowledge. The answering of questions is not a simple retrieval and response of stored information; rather the process is embedded in a general structural framework containing knowledge of the questioner, the question, and the world around. The teaching of knowledge requires an interactive process based on the knowledge the other person holds or lacks. A general formal structure for representing semantic information is proposed with examples of network structures for encoding general and specific knowledge. The structure is being tested by simulation on a digital computer. The result of these investigations is the realization that there is much more to the memory process than has heretofore been described in our theories. (Author/WH)