Forces between membranes approaching contact

Abstract

Cell stickiness to surfaces is recognized as an important concern in tests of red cell filterability. Many forces need be considered in order to think about the sources of cell sticking. As cell membranes are brought together they experience successively the domination of several classes of forces van der Waals attraction, electrostatic repulsion, hydration repulsion, and specific charge-charge interactions at contact. The behaviour of each of these forces is described in the context of red cell adhesion.

Key Words:

• van der Waals forces
• cell adhesion
• electrostatic forces
• hydration forces