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Related Concept Videos

Lifecycle of Erythrocytes01:22

Lifecycle of Erythrocytes

Erythrocytes, also known as red blood cells, constantly move through blood capillaries. As a result, they damage their plasma membrane due to the continuous friction. Typically, after 100 to 120 days, erythrocytes become rigid and fragile as they wear out. As they pass through small vessels in the spleen and liver, they can get trapped and break apart into fragments.
The resident phagocytic macrophages deal with these damaged cells by engulfing them and separating their globin and heme groups.
Structure and Function of Erythrocytes01:29

Structure and Function of Erythrocytes

There are between 4.2 and 6 million erythrocytes, also known as red blood cells, in every microliter of blood. These cells are small, flattened biconcave discs with centers that are depressed.
The erythrocyte plasma membrane is associated with proteins such as spectrin, which forms a flexible cytoplasmic meshwork. This meshwork allows erythrocytes to twist, turn, become cup-shaped, and regain their biconcave shape as they pass through narrow capillaries. Additionally, erythrocytes can form...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 2, 2026

Measuring Deformability and Red Cell Heterogeneity in Blood by Ektacytometry
09:12

Measuring Deformability and Red Cell Heterogeneity in Blood by Ektacytometry

Published on: January 12, 2018

[Studying erythrocyte deformation by optical methods].

Diana Lăcătuşu1, V Rusu

  • 1Universitatea de Medicină şi Farmacie Gr. T. Popa Iaşi Facultatea de Farmacie, Disciplina de Fizică.

Revista Medico-Chirurgicala a Societatii De Medici Si Naturalisti Din Iasi
|April 19, 2011
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Red blood cell deformability, crucial for microcirculation, decreases with increased rigidity. Heating or diamide treatment reduces the elongation index, indicating impaired erythrocyte function.

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Area of Science:

  • Hematology
  • Biophysics
  • Physiology

Background:

  • Erythrocyte deformation is critical for efficient microcirculation.
  • Altered red blood cell (RBC) deformability is linked to various pathophysiological states.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To quantify the impact of thermal stress and chemical treatment on RBC deformability.
  • To assess changes in the elongation index (IE) as a measure of RBC rigidity.

Main Methods:

  • Deformability was measured using the elongation index (IE).
  • Optical instruments, LORCA and RHEODYN-SSD, were employed for evaluation.
  • RBCs were subjected to heating (49°C for varying durations) and diamide treatment (two concentrations).

Main Results:

  • Increased diamide concentration led to higher RBC rigidity and decreased IE.
  • Heating RBCs at 49°C for longer durations resulted in a lower IE.
  • Both heating and diamide treatment demonstrated a dose-dependent increase in RBC rigidity.

Conclusions:

  • Thermal stress and diamide significantly reduce erythrocyte deformability.
  • The elongation index effectively quantifies changes in RBC rigidity.
  • Understanding these alterations is vital for studying microcirculation disorders.