Abstract
Understanding why red blood cells (RBCs) move with an asymmetric shape (slipperlike shape) in small blood vessels is a long-standing puzzle in blood circulatory research. By considering a vesicle (a model system for RBCs), we discovered that the slipper shape results from a loss in stability of the symmetric shape. It is shown that the adoption of a slipper shape causes a significant decrease in the velocity difference between the cell and the imposed flow, thus providing higher flow efficiency for RBCs. Higher membrane rigidity leads to a dramatic change in the slipper morphology, thus offering a potential diagnostic tool for cell pathologies.
- Received 17 July 2009
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.103.188101
©2009 American Physical Society
Viewpoint
Slipping through blood flow
Published 26 October 2009
Simulations provide insight into how viscous flow transforms the shapes of red blood cells, which may influence their physiological properties.
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