Chapter 1, red blood cell physiology and biochemistry, sets the stage for later chapters through its detailed coverage of the molecular structure of hemoglobin and the metabolic pathways within the red blood cell that create a crucial link between structure and function. In section 2, oxygen, the focus is on the mechanisms regulating oxygen uptake at the gill and its delivery to the tissues. Finally, Section 3, carbon dioxide and acid- base balance, presents a detailed account of blood carbon dioxide transport, the interactions between carbon dioxide and oxygen transport, and the consequences of blood carbon dioxide transport on steady-state and non-state acid-base balance.
