Main description:

51 worldwide leading experts in the field of erythrocyte research contributed to this first book on transport processes in red blood cells. It explains the latest findings on the basis of well-established principles, in an accessibly structured and carefully organized compilation.

Contents:

1 Distribution and Movement of Membrane Lipids.- 2 Membrane Lipids and Proteins as a Basis of Red Cell Shape and its Alterations.- 3 Human Red Cell Shape and the Mechanical Characteristics of the Membrane.- 4 Passive Membrane Permeability for Ions and the Membrane Potential.- 5 Na+/K+ Pump.- 6 Ion Channels.- 7 The Swelling-Sensitive Osmolyte Channel.- 8 Na+-K+-2Cl- Cotransport.- 9 K+-Cl- Cotransport in Vertebrate Red Cells.- 10 The Band 3 Protein: Anion Exchanger and Anion-Proton Cotransporter.- 11 Band 3 Mediated Transport.- 12 Amino Acid Transport.- 13 Equilibrative Nucleoside Transport Proteins.- 14 Glucose Transport.- 15 Calcium Homeostasis in Normal and Abnormal Human Red Cells.- 16 Magnesium Transport.- 17 Trace Metal Transport.- 18 Monocarboxylate and other Organic Anion Transport.- 19 Water Permeability.- 20 Gas Transport.- 21 'The Hereditary Stomatocytosis and Allied Conditions': Inherited Disorders Na+ and K+ Transport.- 22 Metabolic Disorders.- 23 Sickle Cell Disease.- 24 The Membrane Physiology of the 'Malaria-Infected' Red Cell.- 25 Hypertension.- 26 Disorders of Band 3.- 27 Amino Acid Transport in Disease.- 28 Transgenic Models of Red Cell Disorders.- 29 Red Cell Ageing.- 30 Active and Passive Monovalent Ion Transport Association with Membrane Antigens in Sheep Red Cells: a Molecular Riddle.- 31 Comparative Physiology of Red Cell Membrane Transport.