ON THE LATERAL DISTRIBUTION OF SPICULA ON ECHINOCYTES

Human erythrocytes were transformed to advanced stages of echinocytes by means of an increase of the pH, by addition of 2,4-dinitrophenol or by an increase in temperature. scanning electron microscopy pictures were taken and the lateral distribution of the spicula was analyzed. R egardless of the method of the production of the echinocytes, no corre lation of the spatial distribution of the spicula was detected. Except for the exclusion due to the finite size of the spicula basis, the di stribution was random. The conclusion was drawn that the generation of spicula is a local process. No long-range ordering interaction betwee n the spicula could be detected.