Abstract
WHEN mammalian blood is mixed with a large volume of glycerol, the red cells are hæmolysed and produce spherical ghosts of about the same diameter as red cells of spherical form. The membrane of the ghosts is birefringent; the optical axis lies radially, and the sign of birefringence is negative with respect to the tangent (Fig. 1). Since the ghost membrane shows little or no birefringence in saline, the negative intrinsic birefringence shown in glycerol must be compensated in saline by positive form birefringence. Schmitt, Bear and Ponder1 concluded that the negative birefringence was due to radially oriented lipoid molecules, and that the strength of the birefringence was such that it must have been due to a layer of lipoid many molecules in thickness. It is now, however, known from physical and chemical measurements2 that there is only enough lipoid present in a ghost to form a continuous layer over the surface about 50–100 A. in thickness (two to four molecules). The rest of the ghost is made up of the fibrous protein stromatin, in quantity sufficient to form a layer 50–150 A. thick when dry. No measurements of the thickness of the wet membrane have been made hitherto.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Access options
Subscribe to this journal
Receive 51 print issues and online access
$199.00 per year
only $3.90 per issue
Buy this article
- Purchase on Springer Link
- Instant access to full article PDF
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Schmitt, F. O., Bear, R. S., and Ponder, E., J. Cell. and Comp. Physiol., 9, 89 (1936).
Reviewed in Ponder, E., “Hæmolysis and Related Phenomena” (Grune and Stratton, New York, 1948).
Rudall, K. M., Proc. Symp. on Fibrous Proteins, 15 (Soc. Dyers and Colourists, 1946).
Perutz, M. F., Proc. Roy. Soc., A, 195, 474 (1949).
Mitchison, T. M., Nature, 166, 313 (1950).
Mitchison, J. M., and Swann, M. M., unpublished observations.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
MITCHISON, J. Thickness and Structure of the Membrane of the Human Red Cell Ghost. Nature 166, 347–348 (1950). https://doi.org/10.1038/166347a0
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/166347a0
This article is cited by
-
Topo-optische Reaktionen an der Membran von menschlichen Erythrocytenschatten
Histochemistry (1979)
-
Elektronenoptische Untersuchungen an der Membran des Erythrocyten
Pfl�gers Archiv f�r die Gesamte Physiologie des Menschen und der Tiere (1960)
-
Rehydration of Human Red-Cell Ghosts
Nature (1954)
-
Beitrag zur Frage der Dicke von Erythrocytenmembranen unter physiologischen Bedingungen
Pflügers Archiv - European Journal of Physiology (1954)
-
Beitrag zur Frage der Dicke von Erythrocytenmembranen unter physiologischen Bedingungen
Pflügers Archiv - European Journal of Physiology (1954)
Comments
By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.