Hello! I work as a doctor for 21 years. My name is George O. Sapego. This article will tell you about the charge on the surface of red blood cells, and why it can not be changed.
Red blood cells - red blood cells it. Their blood the most. Erythrocytes constantly have to push and squeeze into the narrow space of the blood vessels. If erythrocytes skleyutsya in a pile, you get a blood clot. Such thrombus can block blood flow. It is harmful to health.
gift of nature
To red blood cells from sticking, nature gave them a negative charge. On the surface of each erythrocyte is the molecule of organic acids, each of which has a negative charge. Such individual small "minus" on the surface of each erythrocyte very much. Together, these small disadvantages are combined in a noticeable negative charge. Look at the first picture.
Everyone knows that like charges repel. That is why the red blood cells are repelled from each other. They can not just get together in a pile. Even when they are pushed in narrow blood vessels, you still do not stick together.
Except that like charges repel, unlike charges attract. The blood swims a huge amount of ions with a positive charge. They're like flies to honey tend to these negatively charged red blood cells. It turns out that the red blood cells do not just swim by themselves, and surrounded by a retinue of positive ions. Look at the second picture.
Each of these cloud pesky positive ions makes for erythrocyte additional "safety cushion". Because the positively charged cloud of red blood cell would alienate the other positively charged cloud of red blood cell.
Nice fluffy coat
That is, each erythrocyte wearing big fluffy coat of positive ions. Because of such thick coats neighboring red blood cells stick together and difficult to embrace.
As in life coat may vary in quality. In the world of red blood cells are especially prized fur of a large number of "plus sign" - positive ions. The larger the plus sign, the fluffy coat and the next will be different from one another erythrocytes. So there will be no blood clots.
There's blood between erythrocytes little space. Therefore, most of the plus sign around the erythrocyte is going when the plus sign is owned by small ions. But this is not always the case.
poor coat
Sometimes blood swim tremendous protein molecules that have their one little plus, but take up space. Coat of these large protein molecules turns bad. In her few advantages. Large molecules just stick like glue to the erythrocytes and does not add a positive charge. See it on the third picture.
Now, let us remember that the smaller cloud of positive charge, the closer to each other will separate the red blood cells. Sometimes they are so close that they can stick together.
That's why the long protein molecules involved in the formation of a blood clot. There is little pluses, they repel bad, but still stick just like glue. Thus obtained blood clots.
What to do
And now let's try to imagine what you can do with the negative charge of red blood cell, so he stuck to the other red blood cells.
This is not a static electricity as the car door. The charge will not slip off the red blood cell and go into the land.
The charge is held on the erythrocyte due to individual molecules with outs. To reduce the charge, it is necessary to remove these molecules. This can be done with special chemicals. Sometimes in the laboratory so treated red blood cells, so that they stick together more easily. This need for special laboratory tests.
Erythrocyte generally lively and very fragile. It will not work just like poison chemicals. He burst like a soap bubble. So do not think that a drink or a magic potion you can wash off the surface of the red blood cell a negative charge. It is very difficult.
Well, it is clear that the charge of the red blood cell can be a positive. For this it was necessary to stay alive with his skin and turned inside out. This is the fairy tale.
Have you heard anything about the ways of the charge of red blood cells change?)
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