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Imaging the surface details of red blood cells with atomic force microscopy
Author(s) -
Nowakowski Robert,
Luckham Paul
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
surface and interface analysis
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.52
H-Index - 90
eISSN - 1096-9918
pISSN - 0142-2421
DOI - 10.1002/sia.1174
Subject(s) - cytoskeleton , atomic force microscopy , indentation , biophysics , membrane , microscopy , cell membrane , chemistry , red blood cell , cell , nanotechnology , optics , materials science , physics , composite material , biology , biochemistry
Atomic force microscopy (AFM) has been used in situ to study the topography and mechanical properties of red blood cells. When imaging the surface of the blood cells in topographic mode, the underlying cytoskeleton of the cell could be observed. This is a result of the different compressibility of the cell, depending on whether the underlying cytoskeleton is under the tip, which would be relatively hard, or just the cell membrane, which would be soft. The modulation technique confirms that the places where the cytoskeleton is directly underneath the membrane are raised as a result of the harder character and therefore the smaller tip indentation. The results obtained for the normal doughnut‐shaped and swollen cells have been compared. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.