Document Detail


Why do red blood cells have asymmetric shapes even in a symmetric flow?
MedLine Citation:
PMID:  19905834     Owner:  NLM     Status:  MEDLINE    
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
Understanding why red blood cells (RBCs) move with an asymmetric shape (slipperlike shape) in small blood vessels is a long-standing puzzle in blood circulatory research. By considering a vesicle (a model system for RBCs), we discovered that the slipper shape results from a loss in stability of the symmetric shape. It is shown that the adoption of a slipper shape causes a significant decrease in the velocity difference between the cell and the imposed flow, thus providing higher flow efficiency for RBCs. Higher membrane rigidity leads to a dramatic change in the slipper morphology, thus offering a potential diagnostic tool for cell pathologies.
Authors:
Badr Kaoui; George Biros; Chaouqi Misbah
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Publication Detail:
Type:  Letter; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't; Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.     Date:  2009-10-26
Journal Detail:
Title:  Physical review letters     Volume:  103     ISSN:  1079-7114     ISO Abbreviation:  Phys. Rev. Lett.     Publication Date:  2009 Oct 
Date Detail:
Created Date:  2009-11-12     Completed Date:  2010-02-16     Revised Date:  -    
Medline Journal Info:
Nlm Unique ID:  0401141     Medline TA:  Phys Rev Lett     Country:  United States    
Other Details:
Languages:  eng     Pagination:  188101     Citation Subset:  IM    
Affiliation:
Laboratoire de Spectrom?trie Physique, UMR, 140 avenue de la physique, Universit? Joseph Fourier Grenoble, and CNRS, 38402 Saint Martin d'Heres, France.
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MeSH Terms
Descriptor/Qualifier:
Biomechanics
Blood Flow Velocity / physiology
Blood Vessels / physiology
Capillary Resistance
Cell Membrane / chemistry,  metabolism
Cell Shape / physiology*
Computer Simulation
Elasticity
Erythrocytes / cytology*,  pathology,  physiology*
Hemoglobins / metabolism
Models, Biological*
Oxygen / metabolism
Phospholipids / chemistry,  metabolism
Shear Strength
Thermodynamics
Chemical
Reg. No./Substance:
0/Hemoglobins; 0/Phospholipids; 7782-44-7/Oxygen

From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine


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