Red cells adhering to a glass surface: deformation in a well-defined fluid shear field

Red blood cells adhering to a clean glass surface deform and elongate when acted on by a fluid shear stress. Crenated cells become smooth when the shear stress exceeds 6 dynes/cm2. The cell membrane forms thin tethers, and cell detachment from the surface occurs when the shear stress exceeds 10 dynes/cm2.