NONRANDOM SPATIAL-DISTRIBUTION OF INTERMEMBRANEOUS PARTICLES IN RED-BLOOD-CELL MEMBRANE

A combined analysis using digital image processing and quantitative evaluation of computed radial distribution of freeze fracture P face particles irradiated and nonirradiated has been carried out. Important quantitative features of the arrangement of particles can be described by computing a statistical measure, the radial distribution function g(r), commonly used to study the structure of liquids. The coordinates for calculating g(r) for each sample were measured automatically by a digital image processing system. The results for the radial distribution function were found to closely resemble g(r) for fluids, indicating the presence of shortrange order. This measure distinguishes three different patterns: i) random distribution, ii) dilute gas like and iii) a liquid like model. The mean number of first nearest neighbours surrounding each particle (coordination number) was found to be of the order of three. The RBC intramembraneous particles are heterogeneous in their behavioural pattern: two thirds random; one fifth, dilute gas; and one tenth, liquid. © 1990, Gustav Fischer Verlag · Stuttgart · New York. All rights reserved.