Estimation of erythrocyte surface area in mammals

Abstract

Measures of erythrocytes volume and surface are helpful in several physiological studies, both for zoologists and veterinarians. Whilst diameter and volume are assessed with ease from observations of blood smears and complete blood count, respectively, thickness and surface area, instead, are much more difficult to be obtained. The accurate description of the erythrocyte geometry is given by the equation of the oval of Cassini, but the formulas deriving from it are very complex, comprising elliptic integrals. In this article three solids are proposed as models approximating the erythrocyte: sphere, cylinder and a spheroid with concave caps. Volumes and Surface Areas obtained with these models are compared to those effectively measured.