Elastic properties of the erythrocyte membrane and the critical cell volume of erythrocytes

The results on elastic membrane area extension during hemolysis, reported by Richieri and Mel (Richieri, G.V. and Mel, H.C. (1985) Biochim. Biophys. Acta 813, 41-50), are discussed. Careful analysis of their data leads to the conclusion, that the differences in osmolarity, as found in the experiment, were insufficient to cause the reported values of elastic changes in erythrocyte volume (17-22%) and of membrane area extension (11-14%). The recalculated values of the elastic extensions of membrane area are not different from those measured by the micropipet method (i.e. 3-4%).