Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 24, 2026

Controlled Microfluidic Environment for Dynamic Investigation of Red Blood Cell Aggregation
Published on: June 4, 2015
The Impact of Biophysical Properties of Erythrocytes on their Aggregation
Mohamed A Elblbesy1,2, Maisa E Moustafa1
1Department of Medical Biophysics, Medical Research Institute, Alexandria University, Egypt.
Erythrocytes aggregation takes places under low shear conditions or at stasis. All suggested mechanisms of erythrocytes aggregation indicated the importance role of fibrinogen and other blood proteins in enhanced erythrocyte aggregation. Recently a special attention is given to the cellular factors that may effect on erythrocytes aggregation. The present study inferred the effect of the cellular properties of erythrocytes on their aggregation. In the present study, aggregation index was calculated by a simple microscopic method. Correlations between erythrocytes aggregation index and mean cell volume, osmotic fragility, electrophoretic mobility, and magnetophoretic mobility were studied. The findings of this study indicated that the aggregation index is significatly correlated to mean cell volume, magnetophoretic mobility, osmotic fragility and electrophoretic mobility. Thus, It is concluded that cellular factors should be taken into consideration when studying the mechanism of erythrocytes aggregation.
Erythrocytes aggregation takes places under low shear conditions or at stasis. All suggested mechanisms of erythrocytes aggregation indicated the importance role of fibrinogen and other blood proteins in enhanced erythrocyte aggregation. Recently a special attention is given to the cellular factors that may effect on erythrocytes aggregation. The present study inferred the effect of the cellular properties of erythrocytes on their aggregation. In the present study, aggregation index was calculated by a simple microscopic method. Correlations between erythrocytes aggregation index and mean cell volume, osmotic fragility, electrophoretic mobility, and magnetophoretic mobility were studied. The findings of this study indicated that the aggregation index is significatly correlated to mean cell volume, magnetophoretic mobility, osmotic fragility and electrophoretic mobility. Thus, It is concluded that cellular factors should be taken into consideration when studying the mechanism of erythrocytes aggregation.
Related Concept Videos
Structure and Function of Erythrocytes
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...
Factors Affecting Erythropoiesis
Several factors influence the erythrocyte production rate, with tissue oxygen level being among the most critical. Intense exercise or high altitudes can cause tissue hypoxia, which triggers the kidneys to release more erythropoietin (EPO) into the bloodstream.
EPO then...
Blood Typing
Antigens are protein molecules that reside on the surface of red blood cells (RBCs). The ABO and Rh blood typing systems target...
Disorders of Erythrocytes
Erythrocyte disorders can be broadly categorized into two main types: anemic and polycythemic conditions.
A low oxygen-carrying capacity of the blood due to the loss, lower production, or destruction of erythrocytes is termed anemia. Hemorrhagic anemia, for example, occurs when bleeding from an external wound or internal ulcer reduces erythrocyte counts.
On the other...
Oxygen Transport in the Blood
Erythropoiesis

