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In experiments and computer simulations, researchers repeatedly deformed red blood cells, let them "wriggle" and then analyzed their behavior. Three tiny spheres hold the cells in place during the process, while the movements of the cell membrane are measured with the help of a fourth sphere. The "wrapper" of the blood cell consists of a lipid double layer and a cytoskeleton; active forces, produced for example by an ion pump, move the membrane (red arrows) and fluids (green arrows) locally in opposite directions.
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Source: Forschungszentrum Jülich
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