D. W. Lubbers – författare

On the understanding that few people ever read the preface to any book and also on the understanding that even those few people who do read the preface realize that virtually nothing of any substance is ever said, I shall write at such length as will be proportional to my expected readership. The meetings of the International Society on Oxygen Transport to Tissue provide a forum for discussion amongst scientists who, although being from very diverse and specialized backgrounds, have tissue oxygenation as a unifying theme of interest. The wide variety of research material presented in this volume and the multiplicity of the experimental techniques described, should serve as an adequate gauge to the range of expertise and knowledge of the society''s members. Such diversity should also stress the importance of the need for multidisciplinary approaches to complex biological problems. In attempting a fundamental characterization of a biological process such as tissue oxygenation, the application of very many separate research skills are necessary, such as mathematics, engi­ neering, biophysics, biochemistry, physiology, histology and clini­ cal medicine. The success of the ISOTT has - and we hope - will con­ tinue to be causing a combination of individuals to direct their specialized knowledge to the many facets of a single proces- tissue oxygenation.

On the understanding that few people ever read the preface to any book and also on the understanding that even those few people who do read the preface realize that virtually nothing of any substance is ever said, I shall write at such length as will be proportional to my expected readership. The meetings of the International Society on Oxygen Transport to Tissue provide a forum for discussion amongst scientists who, although being from very diverse and specialized backgrounds, have tissue oxygenation as a unifying theme of interest. The wide variety of research material presented in this volume and the multiplicity of the experimental techniques described, should serve as an adequate gauge to the range of expertise and knowledge of the society's members. Such diversity should also stress the importance of the need for multidisciplinary approaches to complex biological problems. In attempting a fundamental characterization of a biological process such as tissue oxygenation, the application of very many separate research skills are necessary, such as mathematics, engi­ neering, biophysics, biochemistry, physiology, histology and clini­ cal medicine. The success of the ISOTT has - and we hope - will con­ tinue to be causing a combination of individuals to direct their specialized knowledge to the many facets of a single proces- tissue oxygenation.

It is becoming traditional that periodically those of us interested in the carotid body hold an international meeting to discuss their results. In 1966 a meeting was organized by R. W. Torrance in Oxford and in 1973 by M. J. Purves in Bristol; in 1974 A. S. Paintal organized a satellite symposium of the Physiological Congress in Kashmir. The organizers of these meetings are to be commended for their efforts in publishing both the papers and discussions. At these meetings it has become apparent that the direction of research is becoming more sharpely focused on the cellular mechanisms of chemoreception. During the meeting in Dortmund the papers dealt mostly with the different cell types in the carotid body and their environment, i. e. , local P0 and local flow. These included 2 light and electron microscopic studies of the morphometric and histochemical pro­ perties of the different cells, microelectrode studies of the glomoid tissue to understand the conversion of a chemical stimulation into nervous activity, as well as strictly bio­ chemical and physiologic investigations concerning the dependence of the chemo­ receptive process on O consumption and the turnover of catecholamines. In spite 2 of the variety in methodology, it was apparent that all contributors had a common interest: to understand the mechanisms of chemoreception. Although at the meeting itself there was ample time to fully discuss the various papers, it has become necessary here to shorten the papers and discussions; otherwise the cost of publication would have been prohibitive.