THE POTENTIAL LIFE SPAN AND ULTIMATE SURVIVAL OF FRESH RED BLOOD CELLS IN NORMAL HEALTHY RECIPIENTS AS STUDIED BY SIMULTANEOUS Cr51 TAGGING AND DIFFERENTIAL HEMOLYSIS 1

Abstract
In each of 2 experi-ments red cells from the same donor were followed after transfusion into 3 different healthy recipients by tagging them with Cr51 and by a method of differential hemolysis, details of which are given. Mathematical analysis of the curves permitted independent determinations of the life span and the rate of random loss. Life span depended on the donor and was independent of the environment: it was found to be 129 [plus or minus] 5 days in one experiment and 114 [plus or minus] 8 in the other. Slight random destruction was found by differential hemolysis in 2 of 6 healthy recipients. The rate of Cr loss averaged slightly less than 1% a day.