Dielectric Properties of Osmium-Fixed Erythrocytes

The deterioration of the membranes of osmium-fixed erythrocytes after washing in distilled water is demonstrated by a marked drop in membrane resistance and an increase in permeability of the cells to small solute molecules. Yet when these cells are placed in dilute salt solutions their conductivity remains high. The lower limit of the cell conductivity is presumably determined by the counterions of the fixed charges within the cell. Both the stability of the membrane and the fixed charge concentration within the cell are found to depend upon the pH of the fixing solution used for preparation of the cells.