Title: Mechanics of Red Blood cell motion in capillaries
Speaker: Professor Timothy W. Secomb , University of Arizona
Speaker Info: Dept. Physiology
Brief Description:
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Abstract:
Blood is a concentrated suspension, containing 40 - 45% by volume of red blood cells in humans. Undeformed red cells are biconcave disks with diameter about 8 microns. They must undergo large deformations to pass through capillaries, whose diameters can be as low as 4 microns. The key mechanical properties of red cells are known, providing a basis for analyzing their deformation and motion in capillaries, using lubrication theory. Predictions of flow resistance in capillaries agree with experimental findings in glass tubes. However, observations of blood flow in living tissues imply substantially higher flow resistance. The main cause of this discrepancy is the presence of a layer of macromolecules, at least 0.5 micron thick, lining microvessel walls, whose effects are currently being investigated.Date: Friday, February 9, 2001