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THEORETICAL MODELS OF ROULEAU FORMATION AND DISAGGREGATION a
Author(s) -
Skalak Richard,
Chien Shu
Publication year - 1983
Publication title -
annals of the new york academy of sciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.712
H-Index - 248
eISSN - 1749-6632
pISSN - 0077-8923
DOI - 10.1111/j.1749-6632.1983.tb35184.x
Subject(s) - citation , library science , computer science , humanities , philosophy
The formation of rouleaux of red blood cells is considered as an interaction of the surface adhesive energy and the elastic strain energy of the red blood cell membrane. A dynamic energy equation is written which applies to both the process of aggregation and the disaggregation by external forces. Any equilibrium state may be regarded as minimization of the appropriate energy potentials. The theory is illustrated by the computation of the shapes of two cell rouleaux under different surface adhesive energies. Disaggregation is studied in a model in which the red blood cells are idealized as cylindrical forms. It is shown that during disaggregation the strain energy stored in the cell contributes to the work done in overcoming the adhesive energy.