New findings from University of Vermont describe advances in microvascular research

"Blood flow through bifurcating vessels in the microvasculature leads to uneven distribution of red blood cells (RBC) in the downstream channels when the channels have different sizes or the flow rates through the channels are different. This phenomenon, known as plasma skimming, is responsible for the large variation in hematocrit throughout the circulatory system. Furthermore. the strong streamline curvature present within bifurcations leads to frequent collisions between the blood elements (red and white blood cells and platelets) and the vessel walls, as well as a rearrangement of the distribution of the blood elements in the channels downstream of the bifurcation," scientists in the...

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