Dr. Tibor Greenwalt did fundamental research in many areas of Transfusion Science, but the mysteries of the Red Blood Cell were always a centerpiece of his intellectual attention. This lecture, given in honor of Dr Greenwalt, reviews some recent aspects of red cell transport of three vital gases: oxygen, nitric oxide, and carbon dioxide. A central theme of the presentation is to understand the co-ordinated efforts which hemoglobin and the red cell membrane exert to accomplish red cell physiology. The presentation will end with appreciation for the fact that the three RBC vital gases are also the three principal gases of the Earths atmosphere.
This award honors Tibor Greenwalt, MD, who was the first registrant at the first AABB Annual Meeting and founding editor of TRANFUSION. The award recognizes an individual who made major scientific or clinical contributions to hematology and transfusion medicine and succinctly communicated theses advances.