Abstract
Summary
1. A method is described for measuring osmotic fragility of cells containing no visible pigment and available in limited quantities only. 2. By this method it was found that osmotic fragility of Earle's strain L fibroblasts is considerably less than that of mammalian erythrocytes, fibroblasts lysing at approximately 13% of isotonicity and erythrocytes at approximately 50%. 3. Microscopic observations are described suggesting that the cell membrane of Earle's strain L fibroblasts is an expansile structure. 4. Treatment of strain L fibroblasts with trypsin or papain produced no increase in their osmotic fragility.
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