Who are Mr. and Mrs. Smith from Going Bovine and what is their importance?

Mr. and Mrs. Smith are Cameron's parents. Mrs. Smith is over involved in her kids' lives, while her husband is over involved in his Physics department and - possibly - his young research assistant. The two adults have little to do with each other before Cameron's illness. Cameron and his father don't get along and can barely tolerate each other, although it seems that Mr. Smith is trying to have a relationship with his son. Cameron would rather ignore his parents and their family problems than deal with them. As Cameron grows more ill his parents begin to rebuild their bond and each of them changes and grows. By the end of the book Mr. Smith is less rigid and Mrs. Smith is more responsible.