The Nambu—Jona-Lasinio model is reviewed in its flavor SU(2) and SU(3) versions applied to quarks. The dynamical generation of quark masses is demonstrated as a feature of chiral symmetry breaking. One finds that the associated meson spectra, as well as the meson static properties, can be well described. Current-algebra results, which arise as a consequence of symmetry considerations, automatically hold for this model and are explicitly demonstrated to do so. These include the Goldberger-Treiman and Gell-Mann-Oakes-Renner relations. Effects of finite temperature, finite chemical potential, and strong Maxwell and chromoelectromagnetic fields on the dynamically generated quark mass and the meson spectra are discussed. The alternative procedure of bosonization to obtain an effective Lagrange density in mesonic degrees of freedom, using the derivative expansion, is also presented. The current status in relating the results of this model to that of chiral perturbation theory is critically examined.

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/RevModPhys.64.649