Open AccessOn the balloon-like structure of the mammalian erythrocyte
Author(s) -
Eric Ponder
Publication year - 1924
Publication title -
proceedings of the royal society of london. series b, containing papers of a biological character
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2053-9185
pISSN - 0950-1193
DOI - 10.1098/rspb.1924.0046
Subject(s) - stroma , red cell , mammal , cell , red blood cell , biology , chemistry , microbiology and biotechnology , biophysics , anatomy , biochemistry , zoology , medicine , immunology , immunohistochemistry
It is well known that for many years there have been two principal views regarding the structure of the red cell of mammals. According to the first view, advocated by Rollett, the erythrocyte is made up of a more or less dense stroma, in the meshes of which the hæmoglobin is held contained. According to the second view, originally held by Schwann and by Schafer, as well as by many other physiologists, the red cell is composed of a membrane, containing a fluid or semi-fluid content. In this paper it is not proposed to review or to discuss the evidence already brought forward, but to treat the problem in a direct way. It will be shown that (i) a body possessing a stroma such as Rollett’s view of the red-cell structure postulates, will behave in a certain manner when its volume is increased, undergoing definite changes of form. Thereafter, (ii) the alterations in form which will occur in a balloon-like body, such as Schwann supposed the erythrocyte of the mammal to be, when the volume of such a body is increased, will be considered, and shown to be quite different from the changes which occur in (i). Finally, (iii) the changes in form of the mammalian red-cell when its volume increases by the passage of fluid into it will be dealt with, and it will be shown that these changes cannot be explained on Rollett’s hypothesis, but that they are, in fact, the very changes which occur in a balloon-like body when distended.