Figure 2.

RBC discocyte shape. (a) Contour of the cross section of the RBC discoid shape at the reduced volume v = 0.6 obtained exactly by minimization of the membrane bending energy, as described in (32), the corresponding dependences of the reduced mean membrane curvature (h), and the difference between reduced principal curvatures (Δh) (see text for the definitions) on the reduced distance from the axis d = D/R_s (where D is the distance from the axis). (b) The dependence of the reduced mean principal curvature at cell poles (h_pole) on the reduced volume (v). Also shown are three examples of the corresponding discoid RBC shapes.