1. Introduction
2. The dataset
2.1. The IR multi-wavelength source number counts
2.3. The CIRB background intensity
2.4. The local boundary: luminosity functions
2.5. The redshift distributions for faint IR sources
3. Multi-wavelength modelling of IR galaxy evolution
3.1. The population composition
3.2. The spectral model
3.3. Model to data confrontation
3.4. Model predictions
4. Discussion
4.1. General evolutionary patterns for IR sources: evidence of a strongly luminosity-dependent evolution
4.2. Origin of the IR emission in the sample sources
4.3. Matching the average comoving SFR and the integrated stellar mass densities
4.4. Constraining the history of star formation and AGN accretion
5. Conclusions