Oxygen Affinity of Hemoglobin and Red Cell Acid Base Status

This volume is the publication of the proceedings of the symposium held in May of 1971. Most of the chapters are relatively brief contributions, often by major authorities. The topics discussed include the interaction between hemoglobin and oxygen, carbon dioxide, the red cell membrane, carbonic anhydrase, the regulation of intermediary metabolism of the red cell and of the oxygen affinity of hemoglobin. A number of the articles are rather specialized research reports that will be of principal value for other workers directly in the field. There are, however, some brief and lucid summaries of the status of these fields. For example, the discussion by Gibson of the controversy about the role of dimers of hemoglobin chains in cooperative heme interactions is an excellent introduction to the status of controversies as of May, 1971, for those not working directly in the field. Nevertheless, someone seriously interested in learning this subject in its current status would wish to go to the more recent publications by Perutz and his collaborators. Overall, this volume is not very well suited for use by students. It is, however, a valuable reference source and belongs in medical school and university libraries. Researchers directly concerned with the chemistry of the red cell will find many points of value in this volume.