**Chapter 7 113** Congenital Defects with Impaired Red Blood Cell Deformability – The Role of Next-Generation Ektacytometry *by Joan-Lluis Vives Corrons and Elena Krishnevskaya*

Preface

Erythrocytes are unique cells with characteristic structure and functions. As mature erythrocytes lack all the cell organelles, they have evolved distinct mechanisms of survival. This book examines some of the less-explored facets of erythrocytes in

The first section on erythrocyte functions introduces the characteristic attributes of erythrocytes as indicators of continually transforming conditions in their microenvironment. The second section on erythrocyte diseases gives insights into types of

I wish to thank Author Service Manager Maja Bozicevic and the rest of the team at IntechOpen for all their support throughout the publication process. I also acknowledge the authors for their excellent contributions as well as the chapter reviewers

**Vani Rajashekaraiah**

School of Sciences,

Bangalore, India

Department of Biotechnology,

JAIN (Deemed-to-be University),

thalassemia and congenital defects due to membrane-related impairment.

terms of their functions, diseases, and diagnostic markers.

for their time and suggestions.
