Red blood cell shapes as explained on the basis of curvature elasticity.
Assuming that the shape of red blood cells is controlled by the curvature elasticity of the surrounding membrane, we fit theoretical shapes to the contours Evans and co-workers determined by interference microscopy. Very good agreement is obtained for disc shapes. The fit is not so good for less common shapes, which may result from Evans' parametric representation and from the interference of shear elasticity.
D004548:Elasticity; D004912:Erythrocytes; D006801:Humans; D008433:Mathematics; D008954:Models, Biological