(Press-News.org) When people say "Blood is thicker than water," they are literally right. Because nearly half of the 'life liquid' consists of solid components. The red blood cells form the greatest part of it – all in all around 40 percent of the blood. They contain the red pigment hemoglobin and are responsible for the transport of oxygen.
"It is amazing that the percentage of this component is not only similar in all human beings but also in many other vertebrates," Prof. Dr. Stefan Schuster of the Friedrich Schiller University Jena (Germany) says. Therefore it can be assumed that this value represents an optimum established by evolution. "If there was a lower volumetric content of blood cells, less oxygen would be transported," the chair of Bioinformatics of the Biological Pharmaceutical Faculty says. "If there was a higher content, the oxygen transport would be increased. But as the blood would then be more viscous, the speed of transport would go down at the same time."
As Prof. Schuster and his colleague Dr. Heiko Stark have just found out, the optimal value of hematocrit – which indicates the volume fraction of the red blood cells – can be calculated with an equation that dates from no less a person than Albert Einstein. The ingenious scientist engaged himself not only in the theory of relativity and quantum physics but also in the viscosity of liquids. "There are already a number of theoretical attempts for calculating the optimal hematocrit value in specialist literature," Schuster says. The Bioinformaticians of Jena University tried to find out which of those equations would be best suited to express the dependence of the viscosity on the liquid (blood) of the volume of the particles (blood cells) and struck lucky with Einstein. The Jena scientists published their results in the latest edition of the science magazine Journal of Applied Physiology (DOI: 10.1152/japplphysiol.00369.2012).
According to this the viscosity of a liquid is dependent on the viscosity of the solvent and the percentage volume of their solid components. Moreover Einstein's equation also has the factor 2.5. "If you apply a modification of this equation suggested by Arrhenius to the equation describing the speed of transport and establish the maximum, you obtain the optimum of exactly 40 percent," Dr. Stark says and calculates: 1 divided by 2.5 equals 0.4 or 40 percent. Therefore the normal hematocrit of human beings seems to be optimal from the point of view of fluid dynamics as well. This would also explain why the same value can be found in many animal species like for instance in lions, antelopes, goats, elephants and rabbits.
In their article the Bioinformaticists listed the experimentally calculated hematocrit values of a total of 57 species of vertebrates from the literature. "However there are some aberrations from the optimum," Stark points out. The hematocrit of seals for instance is considerably higher with 63 percent. "Additional criteria might apply in this case." Marine mammals for instance need a bigger capacity to store oxygen as they dive for long periods of time.
With their results the Jena scientists also question the illegal practice of blood doping in sports: This means trying to raise the concentration of the oxygen transporting hemoglobin in the blood and thereby trying to increase the athlete's performance. This leads to an artificial increase of the hematocrit value. "This is not only a criminal offence, but at the same time its physiological effect is highly questionable according to our calculations", Prof. Schuster summarizes.
INFORMATION:
Original Publication:
H. Stark, S. Schuster, Comparison of various approaches to calculating the optimal hematocrit in vertebrates, J. Appl. Physiol. 2012, DOI: 10.1152/japplphysiol.00369.2012
Contact:
Prof. Dr. Stefan Schuster, Dr. Heiko Stark
Chair of Bioinformatics
Friedrich Schiller University Jena
Ernst-Abbe-Platz 2, D-07743 Jena
Germany
Phone: ++49 3641 949580, ++49 3641 949584
Email: stefan.schu@uni-jena.de, heiko@starkrats.de
How many cells can our blood tolerate?
Bioinformaticians of Jena University calculated the optimal value of hematocrit with the help of Einstein's equation
2012-06-15
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
Making the invisible visible
2012-06-15
While youth suicide is declining overall, the rate of youth suicide in rural America has remained steady. A key to helping rural families with children at risk of suicide is frank discussion of guns says Jonathan Singer, assistant professor of social work at Temple University and co-author of a new study that examined how clinicians, including social workers and counselors involve parents in prevention and treatment of youth suicide. The study, "Engaging parents of suicidal youth in a rural environment" was published in the May issue of Child & Family Social Work.
Singer ...
Warm climate -- cold Arctic?
2012-06-15
To address the question about how climate may develop in the future, earth scientists direct their attention to the past. They look for epochs with similar conditions to today. The major identified climatic processes are then simulated with numerical models to further test possible reactions of the Earths' system. An epoch which is often regarded suitable for such an undertaking is the Eemian warm period, which began around 125,000 years ago following the Saalian ice age.
For about 10,000 years, average temperatures on Earth in the Eemian were rather enhanced – probably ...
Research debunks bodybuilding myth: Growth-promoting hormones don't stimulate strength
2012-06-15
New research from scientists at McMaster University reveals exercise-related testosterone and growth hormone do not play an influential role in building muscle after weightlifting, despite conventional wisdom suggesting otherwise.
The findings indicate that bodybuilders who look to manipulate those hormones through exercise routines are wasting their time.
In two separate studies, published in the Journal of Applied Physiology and the European Journal of Applied Physiology, researchers found anabolic hormones—long thought to be essential for building a muscular frame—do ...
Switchable nano magnets
2012-06-15
Using individual molecules instead of electronic or magnetic memory cells would revolutionise data storage technology, as molecular memories could be thousand-fold smaller. Scientists of Kiel University took a big step towards developing such molecular data storage. They succeeded in selectively switching on and off the magnetism of individual molecules, so-called spin-crossover complexes, by electrons. The interdisciplinary study is part of the Collaborative Research Centre 677 "Functions by Switching", which is funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG). The results ...
Secret love cheats pose a greater infection risk than those in open sexual relationships
2012-06-15
People who were sexually unfaithful without their partner's knowledge were less likely to practice safe sex than those who had other sexual relationships with their partner's consent. They were also more likely to be under the influence of drugs and alcohol at the time of the encounter.
In a study published in The Journal of Sexual Medicine, researchers from the University of Michigan, USA, found that condom use for vaginal and anal sex was 27% and 35% lower in sexually unfaithful relationships and drug and alcohol use was 64% higher.
Of the 1,647 people who replied ...
Sexual minority women are often victims of abuse
2012-06-15
Adult lesbian and bisexual women are more likely to report childhood abuse and adult sexual assault than heterosexual women, according to a new study by Dr. Keren Lehavot from the VA Puget Sound Health Care System in Seattle, USA and her collaborators. Furthermore, the researchers' work shows that women who are more butch report more abuse in childhood, particularly physical and emotional neglect, while women who identify as femme, and have a more feminine appearance, report more adult sexual assaults. The work is published online in Springer's journal, Sex Roles.
It ...
Study: Free, user-friendly 'blood pressure cuff' for dementia is reliable and valid
2012-06-15
INDIANAPOLIS -- A new study shows that a practical clinical tool developed by researchers from the Regenstrief Institute and the Indiana University School of Medicine to measure severity of dementia symptoms is reliable and valid. The Healthy Aging Brain Care Monitor is simple, user-friendly and sensitive to change in symptoms.
"The HABC Monitor is a 'blood pressure cuff' for dementia," said Regenstrief Institute investigator Malaz Boustani, M.D., MPH, associate professor of medicine and associate director of the IU Center for Aging Research. A geriatrician, Dr. Boustani ...
Study shows pollution levels in some kitchens are higher than city-center hotspots
2012-06-15
Researchers from the University of Sheffield's Faculty of Engineering measured air quality inside and outside three residential buildings with different types of energy use (gas vs. electric cookers). They found that nitrogen dioxide (NO2) levels in the kitchen of the city-centre flat with a gas cooker were three times higher than the concentrations measured outside the property and well above those recommended in UK Indoor Air Quality Guidance (1). These findings are published online in Journal of Indoor and Built Environment (2).
"We spend 90 per cent of our time indoors ...
2 warmest winter months in Midwest history may have connection
2012-06-15
COLUMBIA, Mo. – This past March was the second warmest winter month ever recorded in the Midwest, with temperatures 15 degrees above average. The only other winter month that was warmer was December of 1889, during which temperatures were 18 degrees above average. Now, MU researchers may have discovered why the weather patterns during these two winter months, separated by 123 years, were so similar. The answer could help scientists develop more accurate weather prediction models.
Tony Lupo, chair of the Department of Soil, Environment and Atmospheric Sciences in the ...
New action for ancient heart drug
2012-06-15
An ancient heart drug that's inspired the work of herbalists and poets for centuries may treat a condition that plagues millions of overstressed and overweight Americans today.
Since the 13th century, the herb Foxglove has been used to cleanse wounds and its dried leaves were brewed by Native Americans to treat leg swelling caused by heart problems.
In an article published online today in Molecular Pharmacology, researchers at the University of Michigan Health System reveal that digoxin, the active ingredient in digitalis, or Foxglove, can enhance the body's own protective ...
LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:
The future of geothermal for reliable clean energy
Study shows end-of-life cancer care lacking for Medicare patients
Scented wax melts may not be as safe for indoor air as initially thought, study finds
Underwater mics and machine learning aid right whale conservation
Solving the case of the missing platinum
Glass fertilizer beads could be a sustained nutrient delivery system
Biobased lignin gels offer sustainable alternative for hair conditioning
Perovskite solar cells: Thermal stresses are the key to long-term stability
University of Houston professors named senior members of the National Academy of Inventors
Unraveling the mystery of the missing blue whale calves
UTA partnership boosts biomanufacturing in North Texas
Kennesaw State researcher earns American Heart Association award for innovative study on heart disease diagnostics
Self-imaging of structured light in new dimensions
Study highlights successes of Virginia’s oyster restoration efforts
Optimism can encourage healthy habits
Precision therapy with microbubbles
LLM-based web application scanner recognizes tasks and workflows
Pattern of compounds in blood may indicate severity of gestational hypertension and preeclampsia
How does innovation policy respond to the challenges of a changing world?
What happens when a diet targets ultra-processed foods?
University of Vaasa, Finland, conducts research on utilizing buildings as energy sources
Stealth virus: Zika virus builds tunnels to covertly infect cells of the placenta
The rising tide of sand mining: a growing threat to marine life
Contemporary patterns of end-of-life care among Medicare beneficiaries with advanced cancer
Digital screen time and nearsightedness
Postoperative weight loss after anti-obesity medications and revision risk after joint replacement
New ACS research finds low uptake of supportive care at the end-of-life for patients with advanced cancer
New frailty measurement tool could help identify vulnerable older adults in epic
Co-prescribed stimulants, opioids linked to higher opioid doses
What if we could revive waste carbon dioxide?
[Press-News.org] How many cells can our blood tolerate?Bioinformaticians of Jena University calculated the optimal value of hematocrit with the help of Einstein's equation