STUDIES ON THE FORM OF THE AMPHIBIAN RED BLOOD CELL

¹ Department of Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, N. J., and Department of Biological Sciences, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida

1. A mercury drop in contact with a cylindrical surface takes the form of a flat elliptical disc. Increasing the volume of the drop causes an increase in the area and eccentricity of the drop but causes no appreciable increase in thickness. With constant drop volume, the larger the cylinder the less eccentric the fluid drop.

2. Analyses of blood cell form and capillary diameter in Triturus and Pleurodeles disclosed the following relationships. The red cell is circular if its area does not exceed that of the capillary. Eccentricity increases first in a curvilinear and then in a linear fashion as the red cell increases beyond the cross-sectional area of the capillary. Under conditions of essentially constant red cell area, eccentricity is inversely related to the cross-sectional area of the capillary.

3. Based on the experimental findings the following equation may be derived relating red cell area, capillary cross-sectional areas and eccentricity (a/b):

[See the Equation in the PDF]

4. Evidence for the physical nature of the red cell was discussed in relation to the model system.