Papers Published

  1. Hochmuth, R.M. and Wiles, H.C. and Evans, E.A. and McCown, J.T., Extensional flow of erythrocyte membrane from cell body to elastic tether. II. Experiment, Biophys. J. (USA), vol. 39 no. 1 (1982), pp. 83 - 9 .
    (last updated on 2007/04/10)

    Abstract:
    For pt.I see ibid., vol.39, no.1, p.71-81, (1982). In the experiments discussed, preswollen human erythrocytes are sphered by aspirating a portion of the cell membrane into a small micropipette; and long, thin membrane filaments or tethers are steadily withdrawn from the cell at a point diametrically opposite to the point of aspiration. The aspirated portion of the membrane furnishes a reservoir of material that replaces the membrane as it flows as a liquid from the nearly spherical cell body to the cylindrical tether. The application of the principle of conservation of mass permits the tether radius Rt to be measured with the light microscope as the tether is formed and extended at a constant rate. The tether behaves as an elastic solid such that the tether radius decreases as the force or axial tension acting on the tether is increased. For the range of values for Rt in these experiments (100 Å⩽Rt⩽200 Å), the slope of the tether-force, tether-radius line is -1.32 dyn/cm. The surface viscosity of the membrane as it flows from cell body to tether is 3×10-3 dyn.s/cm. This viscosity is essentially constant for characteristic rates of deformation between 10 and 200 s-1

    Keywords:
    biomembranes;biorheology;blood;cellular transport and dynamics;