Carbonic anhydrase (CA) is the common name of a large family of isoenzymes, all of which catalyze the reversible hydration reaction of carbon dioxide to carbonic acid. The history of CA research has just reached its sixtieth anniversary, but the number of studies related to the biochemical, genetic physiological and pharmacological aspects of the different CA isoforms is still growing up, perhaps now more than ever. This article proposes of resuming, from a general point of view, the basic knowledge reached in the field of the carbonic anhydrases. The major results so far obtained by compounds capable of interacting with any of the several different CA isoforms are also examined and reviewed. Finally, a tentative prediction of the future development of pharmacological research in the field is given, leading to the conclusion that dealing with the carbonic anhydrase system can still be a very good investment for a pharmacologist.