Considerations of the Internal Viscosity of Red Cells and its Effect on the Viscosity of Whole Blood

Abstract

An attempt to formulate concepts of the internal viscosity and internal colloidal structure of the red cell. Fluidity of the interior of red cell is deduced from the facts that the relative viscosity of packed cells (hematocrit 100) is only 20, and that the equations for viscosity of suspensions of rigid particles cannot be applied to blood. The viscosity of the interior of red cell may be, under some conditions, only in the order of 2-15 cps. The interior of the red cell contains, most likely, two phases, hemoglobin forming a discontinuous phase. It is suggested that the Fahraeous-Lindquist effect may be explained partially, and the fact that the linear flow of blood is obtained at low values of pressure in wide tubes but at high values of pressure in narrow tubes may be explained totally, if it is assumed that the interior of the red cell is thixotropic.