Theoretical and phase contrast microscopic eigenmode analysis of erythrocyte flicker : amplitudes

Mark A. Peterson; Helmut Strey; Erich Sackmann

doi:doi:10.1051/jp2:1992199

Issue		J. Phys. II France Volume 2, Number 5, May 1992


Page(s)		1273 - 1285
DOI		https://doi.org/10.1051/jp2:1992199

DOI: 10.1051/jp2:1992199
J. Phys. II France 2 (1992) 1273-1285

Theoretical and phase contrast microscopic eigenmode analysis of erythrocyte flicker : amplitudes

Mark A. Peterson¹, Helmut Strey² and Erich Sackmann²

¹ Mount Holyoke College, South Hadley, MA 01075, U.S.A.
² TU-Munchen, Physik-Department E22, 8046 Garching, Germany

(Received 26 July 1991, accepted 23 December 1991)

Abstract
The energy eigenmodes of an erythrocyte with elastic properties described by a curvature modulus $k_{\rm c}$ and a shear modulus $\mu$ are computed, both for fixed spontaneous curvature c₀, and in the bilayer coupling hypothesis (fixed $\langle H\rangle$ ). The corresponding thickness fluctuation profiles depend on the relative importance of $k_{\rm c}$ and $\mu$ . A phase contrast microscopy determination of the thickness fluctuation profile indicates that $\mu$ , at least in this process, is very small. The data favor fixed $\langle H\rangle$ over fixed c₀. k_c is about $4.3\times 10^{-19}$ J if c₀ fixed and $1.4\times 10^{-19}$ J if $\langle H\rangle$ is fixed.