ABSTRACT
The mammalian erythrocyte is a most persistently enigmatic entity. Its main function, that of oxygen transport, is obvious enough. Anatomically it is simple compared with most other mammalian cells. In its mature state it has no nucleus and no cytoskeleton. Consequently, the factors that determine its shape ought to be simple to decipher. Not so! Even though a great deal has been learned in the last two decades concerning the molecular structure of the membrane, the way in which the constituent molecules interact to control the shape of the red blood cell is still imperfectly understood. There is no consensus yet on how red blood cell shape is maintained.
